Overview

• Once relegated to lower-value uses, the cut has surged in popularity on home grills and now appears on some restaurant menus as a “nuevo corte premium.”
• The muscle covers the ojo de bife next to the costillar and is widely known as marucha, offering a smaller size with ideal fat infiltration and a distinct, fibrous bite.
• Grill experts advise slow, controlled cooking at medium heat, starting on the fat side to render flavor, with coarse salt added shortly before cooking.
• Buying guidance includes choosing even pieces with a uniform white fat cap and slicing steaks 3–4 cm thick to prevent drying.
• Recent prices highlight its value appeal, with August listings around 7,999 pesos per kilo at Coto and about 9,300 pesos at Carrefour, as some compare it to Brazilian picanha while noting it has its own identity.