what should i do with these tuna steaks

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something simple. i've never cooked tuna before. i really have no idea. noodles?

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 7 May 2006 11:23 (twenty years ago)

Do you have a grill? If so, get it hot hot hot while tuna marinates in a honey/soy/ginger/toasted sesame oil/olive oil mixture (10 - 15 minutes only). How thick are the steaks? Cook fish for 10 minutes/inch of thick, divided between the two sides (so 1" thick = 5 minutes/side).

― Jaq (Jaq), Sunday, 7 May 2006 11:49 (twenty years ago)

Your primary concern should be overcooking, of which even a little will dramatically desiccate the tuna. Jaq's marinade will help fight that, but my instinct suggests cooking more like 1 or 2 minutes/side. Fish cooks fast and lets go of almost all its moisture in the process.

If you hadn't specified simple, I'd suggest poaching the steaks in olive oil to maintain their richness.

― Paul Eater (eater), Sunday, 7 May 2006 16:27 (twenty years ago)

That is true, and I am always overcooking the fish :( And tuna is so good when rare!

When you poach in oil, do you use enough to cover the fish? Slow oven or stovetop? And, for how long? My midwestness is the pits when it comes to cooking fish; I'm a bit terrified of it and hate to ruin it, so seldom cook it.

― Jaq (Jaq), Sunday, 7 May 2006 19:22 (twenty years ago)

Yes, I use enough oil to cover, on the stovetop usually but either is fine (an electric deep-fryer would be nice), with a cast-iron pot and my trusty probe thermometer helping me keep the oil below 200 degrees. The site search doesn't find my previous posts on the subject but Google does.

― Paul Eater (eater), Sunday, 7 May 2006 19:47 (twenty years ago)

I pan sear mine, sometimes with marinade similar to what Jaq describes, and usually with a healthy not-quite-crust coating of black pepper and sometimes sesame. Paul definitely OTM with cooking times, I would go for 2-3 minutes per side (adjust a little depending on thickness obviously, less if you are sans-marinade).

― Allyzay Rofflesbot (allyzay), Monday, 8 May 2006 15:26 (twenty years ago)

I like to do tuna in a stripey pan, very hot. I find that if I cook it until it has coloured halfway up the side, then flip it over until the coloured halves meet, it's perfectly cooked and still nicely red inside.

― Mädchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 08:30 (twenty years ago)

And my favourite way to serve it at the moment is on noodles in a garlicky, gingery broth with some kind of greens, some soy, some lime juice, some chilli and a heap of coriander.

― Mädchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 08:31 (twenty years ago)

If it's v fresh then carpaccio is nice, works better when youve got a large amount though. Wrap in clingfim, roll into a tube shape and freeze for a bit until it's firmed up (not very long, 20 mins-i/2 an hour). Take your sharpest knife and cut slices as thin as you can manage, serve raw with lemon juice and pepper.

― Matt (Matt), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 10:25 (twenty years ago)

One of the first things i cooked as an adult (i.e. it wasn't pasta). Grill 2-4 steaks (defer to the cooking time from previous posts). Finish off with a dressing of chopped fresh oregano or italian basil, italian parsley, crushed garlic cloves, 2 anchovies, olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Very simple and nice, clean food.

― Jeannine Magno, Tuesday, 23 May 2006 01:57 (twenty years ago)

Last night I made the tuna after marinading it in a mix or orange juice, lime juice, ginger, cilantro and fresh ground black pepper and served with a cold udon noodle salad. It came out pretty good though if I had it to do again I'd have used more of the marinading liquid in the pan instead of just straight up searing it, reducing it down to a sauce.

― Allyzay Rofflesbot (allyzay), Tuesday, 23 May 2006 13:25 (twenty years ago)

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