{"id":2387,"date":"2009-08-05T00:14:37","date_gmt":"2009-08-05T05:14:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/crankymouse.com\/?p=2387"},"modified":"2010-01-10T16:03:35","modified_gmt":"2010-01-10T21:03:35","slug":"spicy-sweet-savory-seared-ahi-tuna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crankymouse.com\/index.php\/2009\/08\/05\/spicy-sweet-savory-seared-ahi-tuna\/","title":{"rendered":"Spicy Sweet Savory Seared Ahi Tuna"},"content":{"rendered":"

I would imagine that for most people the word tuna<\/em> conjures up images of soggy tuna salad sandwiches made with too much mayo and pickle juice.\u00a0 Or better yet, a classic Midwestern tuna hot dish (read casserole for the rest of the country) with egg noodles and potato chips on top.\u00a0 And these aren’t necessarily bad images.\u00a0 I’m quite fond of a properly prepared tuna melt, but one thing is for sure: tuna is a polarizing protein.\u00a0 At least the canned variety is, people either like it or they hate it, until now.<\/p>\n

Most of you have probably seen the alternate form of tuna over at the meat counter at your local super mart.\u00a0 A bright red thick steak labeled tuna<\/em> but bearing absolutely no resemblance to the canned version we know so well.\u00a0 And most of us avoid that steak because it is so unfamiliar to us, not to mention expensive.\u00a0 But maybe today I can change your mind.<\/p>\n

Last week our local grocer was offering a great deal on Ahi tuna – 6.99\/lb.\u00a0 Usually this stuff is at least $13 or more dollars per pound which causes us to pass it up.\u00a0 In fact I don’t think we’ve had tuna steaks for well over a year now so when we saw the circular we immediately put tuna on the menu.\u00a0 Since we planned it for Friday however, we didn’t run out and buy any until Thursday night.\u00a0 It is imperative to keep your fish for as short a time as possible before cooking it.<\/p>\n

Now I had been sitting on a recipe that we wanted to try for some time but we were either going to have to wait for a special occasion or hope for a sale.\u00a0 Well as luck would have it the sale came first.\u00a0 It’s tuna time.<\/p>\n

Side note: I do need to give credit to the author of this one.\u00a0 Usually I start with a dish that I have had before and want to copy, then I scour the web, read about five or six different variations of the dish, and then make my own recipe based on what I have in the cupboard or to suit my personal tastes.\u00a0 This recipe<\/a> needed no alterations.\u00a0 It is the easiest recipe I have seen, and the flavor is nothing short of perfect.\u00a0 I saw this on an episode of Good Eats<\/a>, so I give full credit to Alton Brown<\/a>.\u00a0 And to him also I say “Thank you”.<\/p>\n

In addition to a red hot grill, you will need five ingredients (yup, that’s it).<\/p>\n

\"ingredients\"<\/a><\/p>\n

2 lbs Ahi Tuna steaks<\/p>\n

\u00bc cup soy sauce<\/p>\n

\u00bc cup honey<\/p>\n

\u00bc cup wasabi powder<\/p>\n

Sesame seeds<\/p>\n

That is it.<\/p>\n

\"honey-pour\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Mix the soy sauce, honey and wasabi in a zip top bag and set aside half of it for a dipping sauce.\u00a0 Place the steaks into the bag with the other half of the sauce and allow them to soak for an hour or more.<\/p>\n

\"wasabi-pour\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I didn’t really measure the wasabi powder.\u00a0 I just assumed the can I bought was a quarter cup.\u00a0 Yep, I just dumped in the whole can.<\/p>\n

\"marinate\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After the hour is up, light your grill and crank it up to high, what we want is a good sear on the steaks and that is all.\u00a0 I removed one grate from my grill and turned the other one sideways and set it right on top of the pumice rocks.\u00a0 The closer you can get to the fire with this one the better.<\/p>\n

Ok, with the grill going, remove your tuna steaks from the marinade and roll them in sesame seeds.\u00a0 You want complete coverage here because you will lose some on the grill.\u00a0 Pat them gently to make them stick.<\/p>\n

\"sesame-seed-coat\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Go check your grill.\u00a0 My temperature needle was off the charts, and if I had to guess, I would say the temperature at the grill surface was 800 degrees.\u00a0 Once you reach this point.\u00a0 Stop.\u00a0 Make sure you have everything close by.\u00a0 Good tongs, a clean plate, some foil, and some cooking spray.\u00a0 Also you should have everything else that you are eating with the tuna already prepared and waiting for you.\u00a0 This is going to go fast.<\/p>\n

Ready?\u00a0 Ready.<\/p>\n

\"flaming-grill\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Oil up the grate with spray, careful, you will get flames, which I think is the best part.\u00a0 Quickly transfer the tuna to the grill.\u00a0 Don’t worry about the lid for this one, leave it open.\u00a0 Count to 40 and flip.\u00a0 40?\u00a0 Yes, 40, 40 seconds.\u00a0 Ok maybe not 40 exactly, but trust your senses.\u00a0 You should smell the sesame seeds starting to toast releasing their hidden flavors – when you smell this, it is time to flip.\u00a0 Once flip repeat the same counting or sniffing routine.\u00a0 When the seeds start toasting, you’re done.\u00a0 Remove from the heat to a foil lined plate, cover and let them rest for five minutes (this is very important).<\/p>\n

\"grill-and-flip\"<\/a><\/p>\n

During the resting period retrieve the sauce that you set aside and bring it to the table for dipping.<\/p>\n

Once the steaks have had their five minute nap it is time to eat.\u00a0 Cut the fish into thin slices and serve, dip, and devour.<\/p>\n

\"cut-it-up\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The simple sauce really packs a punch in the flavor department.\u00a0 Sweet honey plays perfectly with the salty soy sauce but both are swiftly enhanced by the spicy kick from the wasabi, truly a perfect balance.\u00a0 Just be careful not to use too much sauce or you will over power the subtle flavor of the tuna and toasted sesame seeds.<\/p>\n

\"tuna-with-sauce\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This dish is perfect for entertaining your more adventurous friends.\u00a0 The fish is rare, the sauce is spicy, but the complete package, which only takes ten minutes to prepare, is a total show stopper.\u00a0 Plus, if you shop the sales, you can feed a group of four for under $20.\u00a0 Although this is so good, I might not wait for the sale next time.<\/p>\n

\"tuna-final\"<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Spicy Sweet Savory Seared Tuna<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2 lbs Ahi Tuna steaks<\/p>\n

\u00bc cup soy sauce<\/p>\n

\u00bc cup honey<\/p>\n

\u00bc cup wasabi powder<\/p>\n

Sesame seeds<\/p>\n

Combine honey, soy sauce, and wasabi. Reserve half for dipping sauce. Use other half to marinade the tuna steaks for one hour.
\nAfter marinade, coat the tuna in sesame seeds.
\nSear steaks on a very hot grill cooking only about 40 seconds per side.
\nRemove and wrap in foil for five minutes.
\nSlice thin and serve with reserved dipping sauce.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I would imagine that for most people the word tuna conjures up images of soggy tuna salad sandwiches made with too much mayo and pickle juice.\u00a0 Or better yet, a classic Midwestern tuna hot dish (read casserole for the rest of the country) with egg noodles and potato chips on top.\u00a0 And these aren’t necessarily […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23,12,30,10,219],"tags":[185,190,36,187,189,183,184,188,82,141,182,186],"class_list":{"0":"post-2387","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-featured","7":"category-from-the-patio","8":"category-main-course","9":"category-recipes","10":"category-seafood-main-course-recipes","11":"tag-ahi","12":"tag-asian","13":"tag-grill","14":"tag-honey","15":"tag-hot","16":"tag-savory","17":"tag-seared","18":"tag-soy-sauce","19":"tag-spicy","20":"tag-sweet","21":"tag-tuna","22":"tag-wasabi","23":"entry","24":"has-post-thumbnail"},"mv":{"thumbnail_id":null,"thumbnail_uri":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crankymouse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crankymouse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crankymouse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crankymouse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crankymouse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2387"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/crankymouse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2387\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2403,"href":"https:\/\/crankymouse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2387\/revisions\/2403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crankymouse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crankymouse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crankymouse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}