Grilling Season, Father’s Day, and the Cut We’re Loving Right Now

June has a way of slowing things down.

School is out. The evenings stretch a little longer. The grill starts earning its keep again. Somewhere between the first cold drink outside and the smell of charcoal warming up, summer begins to feel official.

At North 36 Farms, this is one of our favorite months of the year. The pastures are full, the days are long, and the table moves outside whenever possible. It is the season for eating with your elbows on the table, staying out past dark, and remembering that some of the best meals are the least complicated ones.

It is also Father’s Day month, which means a lot of us are trying to figure out what to give the men in our lives who already seem to have most of what they need.

Our vote: give him something he can put on the grill.

The cut we’re loving this month: Picanha

If you have not cooked our picanha yet, June is a very good time to start.

Picanha is a crescent-shaped cut prized in Brazilian churrasco, known for its rich fat cap and bold, beefy flavor. It is the kind of cut that turns dinner into a small occasion without asking you to overcomplicate anything.

Our Heritage Black Angus picanha has the depth and marbling we love in summer grilling cuts. Cooked well, it delivers a beautifully crisped fat cap, tender slices, and the kind of flavor that makes people hover near the cutting board before dinner is officially served.

How we like to cook it

Picanha does not need much. That is part of the appeal.

We like to score the fat cap in a crosshatch pattern before cooking. This helps the fat render and gives you more of those crisp, golden edges everyone quietly hopes will end up on their plate.

From there, keep it simple:

Season generously.
Cook it slowly at around 250°F.
Finish it hot in cast iron or over an open flame.
Slice it against the grain.
Serve it outside, preferably with something cold nearby.

That is the whole point of June cooking. Good beef, good heat, good people, and not too much fuss.

A Father’s Day gift that does not end up in a drawer

Father’s Day gifts can be tricky.

There are only so many ties, mugs, gadgets, and “world’s best dad” items one man can reasonably receive in a lifetime. And while we are not opposed to a sentimental classic, we are partial to gifts that become part of an actual evening.

A great steak dinner does that.

So does a box of Heritage Black Angus beef that keeps arriving after Father’s Day has come and gone.

The North 36 Farms Latitude Club was made for that kind of gift. It delivers Heritage Black Angus beef from our Middle Tennessee pastures straight to his door, month after month. It is practical, generous, and a little more memorable than something he has to pretend he knows where to put.

It says: we know you love the grill.
It says: dinner is on us.
It says: please do not buy another bottle opener shaped like a fish.

What to put on the table this month

For June, we are leaning toward the cuts that make outdoor meals feel easy and abundant: steaks for the grill, brisket for a slow weekend cook, and anything that gives you an excuse to keep dinner casual.

Picanha is at the top of our list, especially for anyone who wants to try something a little different without needing a culinary degree or a full Saturday blocked off.

Serve it with grilled vegetables, a bright salad, roasted potatoes, or whatever happens to be in the fridge and looks willing. Summer food is forgiving that way.

Here’s to June

Here’s to long evenings that do not quite want to end.

To the smell of a grill warming up.

To fathers who showed up, taught what they knew, and learned right alongside us.

And to summer, which always seems to arrive like a promise kept.

Whether you are planning Father’s Day dinner, stocking the freezer for the season, or just looking for one very good reason to light the grill this week, we would be honored to help you put something worth gathering around on the table.