::digitaldefection::

tuna is an amazingly delicious and healthy meat. they are huge fish (bluefin tuna generally weigh 1100 pounds, and the largest ever caught was 1500 pounds) , and swim constantly and very fast (up to 48 mph), therefore creating a very lean meat that is very high in hemoglobin, which gives tuna it’s nice red color. indeed, tuna is ‘the other red meat’. it is high in vitamins and minerals, as well as protein and essential fats and oils.

being that tuna is a saltwater fish and is usually frozen right on the ship (then thawed at the market or grocery store), one can eat tuna raw or nearly raw. tuna makes excellent sushi (perhaps i will write a recipe for that on another day), and is delicious when seared and served rare/medium rare.

start out by purchasing a nice piece of fish. if possible go to a fish market, as they will probably have fresher fish than a grocery store. i bought mine from harris teeter. look for the words ’sashimi grade’. but a 1/3 pound tuna steak per person. look to make sure that the tuna is fresh and red and does not have a fishy smell. it should smell nearly neutral. when you bring the fish home, put it on ice immediately, to retard spoilage.

Recipe:

2 parts honey
2 parts soy sauce
1 part wasabi powder.
1 1/4-1/3 pound of sashimi-grade tuna steak per person

mix the above ingredients well. save some in a separate container for dipping sauce (if desired). pour the rest of the marinade, and the steaks in a plastic ziploc baggie and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 3 hours.
Pre-heat a griddle or grill, as high a heat as you can get it.
drain the tuna, then toss on the grill for 30 seconds to a minute per side (depending on thickness). be careful not to overcook. the idea here is to sear the outside but leave the center cool and red.
cover with saran wrap for 2 minutes and let rest.

(adapted from a recipe on alton brown’s good eats tv show)