Tuna that doesn’t come from a can is a great piece of meat. It has a great texture and flavor, it’s a real treat. Tuna from a can isn’t too bad either, I enjoy a good tuna salad as much as the next person, but it’s not something I think of as a great meal idea.
It helps to live somewhere near an ocean if you want fresh fish. For those of us that don’t, hopefully you have a fishmonger near you that stocks high quality frozen fish. It’s a bit expensive, but worth it.
Alton Brown does a whole thing on tuna and how to sear it.
1/2 cup dark soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup dry wasabi powder
2 pounds tuna loin, cut into 2 pieces
1/2 cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoons peanut oilCombine soy, honey, and wasabi powder. Reserve 1/4 cup for dipping sauce. Roll each piece of tuna in this mixture to coat evenly. Marinate from 1 hour to overnight.
On a plate, lay the sesame seeds. Roll the tuna in the seeds to evenly coat.
Fire up the chimney and top with a well-oiled grate. Sear for 15 to 30 seconds per side or to desired temperature. Remove to rack and rest for 3 minutes. Cover with foil or plastic wrap to achieve carry over cooking. Slice thinly and serve with the dipping sauce.
The flaw in the recipe from the paleo perspective is the soy sauce. We can substitute lemon juice and water for that. A little tang, some salt. Mix a squeeze of lemon with some water and salt until it compares with soy sauce saltiness. There are other soy substitutes, but they involve molasses or Worcestershire sauce so we’re no better off there. If you’re anti-salt, skip the whole marinade thing and just roll it in the sesame seeds and go for it.
If you don’t want to fire up a chimney starter, and who does, you can do all this in a pan over high heat. You will get smoke in your kitchen. Open the window first.
Related posts:
