| Jason's 4 minute tuna steaks |
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This recipe was created thanks to my husband Jason. One
Valentine's day, he wanted to surprise me with dinner. He used
my tuna steak recipe, but simplified it tremendously and ended
up with an even better version. I loved it so much, that I
rewrote my tuna steak recipe and named it after Jason. To achieve
mouth watering, juicy and tender tuna, sear the steaks only for 4 minutes. This will get you a medium-rare steak, thus the name "4 minute tuna." Of course, there is no reason you can't turn this into a "5 minute tuna" if you like your tuna more cooked through. Tuna and swordfish are the easiest fish to dry and ruin while cooking.
There is a very simple trick that ensures success -- lots of
oil. Just let your tuna sit in a very oily marinade for
30 minutes to 2 hours and you are guaranteed a wonderfully juicy
and tender fish. When you pour 3/4 cup of oil into your fish,
don't panic; you won't actually be eating all this oil, just
some of it.
Tips: If you live in Boston area, go to your local Whole Foods and buy some Thai Ginger marinade in their fish department. This will make your marinade much easier. Just use olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in the amounts listed in the recipe, and add 1/3 cup of Thai Ginger marinade. Sides: Grilled Tuna steaks are very versatile. Serve them over a salad as a casual meal. For a special occasion, serve them with roasted or grilled potatoes, topped with herb butter. |
| Serves 4 |
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| Ingredients | Directions |
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Zest and juice of 1 lemon 3 clove garlic minced 2 Tbsp minced ginger root 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce 1/4 cup sesame oil 1/2 cup olive oil 1 tsp chili pepper flakes 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro 4 8oz yellowfin tuna steaks (1 1/2" thick) |
Marinade (30 minutes to 2 hours before serving) Mix all ingredients on the left (except tuna) in a non-reactive bowl that is just big enough to hold the steaks in one layer. Add the steaks and turn them to coat. They should be sitting very tightly in the bowl. If you don't have the bowl of appropriate size, just pour the marinade into a large zip loc freezer bag, add the steaks, squeeze all the air out and close the bag. If marinating only for 30 minutes leave the fish at room temperature. If marinating longer than that, keep it in the fridge removing to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking. |
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Set a large frying pan on med-high heat. Remove tuna from the marinade and dry on paper towels. When the pan is hot, pour 2 Tbsp of oil from the marinade into the skillet. Add tuna steaks to a pan. Shake the pan couple of times so that steaks don't stick. Sear 2.5 minutes on one side. Flip and sear 1.5 minutes on the other side. This will cook 1/4" of tuna on each side and leave the rest rare. If you like your tuna more cooked through, cover the pan, turn down the heat to medium and cook flipping the steaks half way until desired doneness. |
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1 tsp chopped rosemary |
Sprinkle the steaks with rosemary, pour the pan juices over them, or top with garlic herb butter, and serve. |
