Mike Reid Picanha Skewers with Nashi Ketchup
- Prep time 20Min
- Cook time 2Hr, 5Min
- Technique Roast
- Meat Beef
- Cut Rump
- Serves 10
Australian picanha skewers are grilled until lightly charred and glazed with a rich chicken wing tare for deep umami flavour. Served with a house-made nashi pear ketchup, this dish balances sweet, savoury and smoky notes with tender beef rump and a refined Japanese-inspired finish.
Ingredients
Beef
- 350 g picanha, trimmed with fat cap left at approximately 5 mm
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Fine sea salt – to taste
- 10 small skewers
Chicken Wing Tare
- 1 kg chicken wings
- 500 ml sake
- 500 ml mirin
- 900 ml usukuchi (light soy sauce)
- Freshly cracked black pepper – to taste
House Nashi Ketchup
- 50 ml olive oil
- 100 g brown onion, chopped
- 15 g garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 15 g long red chilli, chopped
- 100 ml tomato purée
- 250 g dark brown sugar
- 600 g nashi pears, peeled and roughly chopped
- 500 g plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 250 g apple cider vinegar
- 10 g smoked paprika
- Sea salt – to taste
- Cracked black pepper – to taste
Method
Chicken Wing Tare
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Spread the chicken wings evenly across a roasting tray.
- Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, checking after 40 minutes, until deeply browned but not burnt.
- Place the roasting tray directly onto the hob over medium-high heat.
- Deglaze with a splash of sake, scraping up all the caramelised fond.
- Add the remaining sake, mirin and soy sauce.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer for 1 hour until lightly reduced and glossy.
- Strain out the bones and solids.
- Season lightly with cracked black pepper and cool completely.
- The tare should be glossy and lightly syrupy, not thick like caramel.
House Nashi Ketchup
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook for 5–6 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes to lightly caramelise.
- Add the dark brown sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Add the nashi pears, plum tomatoes, apple cider vinegar and smoked paprika.
- Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 35–40 minutes until reduced and thickened.
- Blend until smooth using a hand blender.
- Pass through a fine sieve for a refined texture.
- Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
- Cool completely before serving.
Final Assembly – Skewers
- Slice the picanha across the grain into 10 equal strips, approximately 30–35 g each.
- Thread loosely onto skewers in gentle folds.
- Brush lightly with olive oil and season with fine sea salt.
- Cook on a very hot grill or ribbed griddle for 1–2 minutes per side until medium-rare and lightly charred.
- Rest for 1 minute.
- Brush lightly with warm tare glaze.
- Serve with a spoonful or quenelle of nashi ketchup alongside, or lightly piped onto the skewer.
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