At a Brazilian Steakhouse: Ask How Meat Is Cooked in Portuguese
Learn practical Brazilian Portuguese for ordering meat by doneness and understanding which cut is on your plate.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
Ponto da carne means how cooked the meat is. Common requests include malpassada (rare), ao ponto (medium), and bem passada (well-done). Preferences and exact results can vary, so ask the server to confirm your request.
Describe how you want the meat cooked
Quero a carne bem passada, por favor.
I’d like the meat well-done, please.
Você pode trazer uma porção ao ponto?
Could you bring a medium portion?
Ask which cut is being served
Corte is a cut of meat. If you do not recognize the name, ask which part it is and whether it is especially fatty. Picanha is a well-known Brazilian cut, but a restaurant may serve several different cuts.
Qual é esse corte?
What cut is this?
É um corte mais magro ou tem bastante gordura?
Is it a leaner cut, or does it have quite a bit of fat?
Clarify your request if it arrives differently
If the meat is not cooked as requested, describe the difference rather than criticizing the staff. Ainda está crua means it is still raw; passou do ponto means it is more cooked than intended.
Eu pedi ao ponto, mas esta porção está bem passada.
I ordered it medium, but this portion is well-done.
Você poderia trocar por uma porção menos passada?
Could you replace it with a less-cooked portion?
Put it into practice
Say the doneness you prefer, then ask the server to confirm the cut and preparation.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I ordered it medium, but this portion is well-done”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.