Matt and Ceinwen’s picanha with pear, pecan and radicchio salad

‘We were vegetarians until a few years ago. Ceinwen hadn’t eaten meat for decades and in 2008 I was shocked into vegetarianism by the documentary Food Inc, which exposed the unethical and exploitative practices of industrial-scale crop and livestock production. By contrast, I’d spent time on my grandfather’s farm as a kid so I knew what good small-scale farming looked like.

It wasn’t the reality of eating animals that bothered me so much as the systems in which most meat is produced. But in 2015, when Ceinwen was pregnant with Jack, she realised she needed more iron, which meant more meat — a big decision for us. So we found ourselves at Feather and Bone and now our family of four (Jack has a sister, Bonnie) eat a small amount of locally sourced, pasture-raised meat each week. Buying from a whole-body butchery gives you the opportunity to explore different cuts, which is how we ended up trying picanha, or rump cap. If the ingredients are good, you don’t need to do much with them — just get out of their way and let them shine.’

Matt Harrington and Ceinwen Berry, retail customers

Feeds: 4 | Preparation time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 45 minutes
Special equipment: A charcoal barbecue

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) piece picanha (rump cap), at room temperature

1 tablespoon olive oil

20 g (¾ oz) butter

2 teaspoons maple syrup

100 g (3½ oz/1 cup) pecans

1 head radicchio

Juice of ½ lemon

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 firm pear

Shaved parmesan, to serve

Aged balsamic vinegar, to serve

Score the fat side of the picanha at 2 cm (¾ in) intervals to form a cross-hatch pattern. Rub a generous amount of salt flakes onto the fat side and rub the flesh side with olive oil. Season all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

If you have a charcoal barbecue, set it up for indirect grilling, with a hot zone and another with more gentle, indirect heat. If you’re using a gas barbecue, preheat the grill to high.

Once the coals reach high heat (you should only be able to hold your hand above the coals for a second or two), sear the picanha over direct heat, fat-side first and turning halfway, for 5–10 minutes until browned. Move the picanha to an indirect position (or turn the heat to low on a gas barbecue and close the lid) and cook for 25–35 minutes for medium–rare, or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate and rest for 10–15 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the salad, melt butter with maple syrup in a frying pan over low heat. Add pecans and toss for 3–5 minutes until roasted and the butter reduces and turns sticky. Be careful, it can burn quickly. Tumble the pecans onto paper towel and let them cool.

Tear radicchio into a shallow serving bowl, add lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil and toss to coat, seasoning to taste with salt flakes. Halve and core the pear, then thinly slice it. Spread pear over leaves, top with pecans and shaved parmesan and drizzle with balsamic vinegar to taste.

Carve the picanha across the grain in 2 cm (¾ in) slices and pour the juice over the sliced meat. Serve with the salad and a cleansing ale.