Ahi Tuna Steaks, seasoning and cooking tips

[bivenator]

First timer with these and wondered if any of our very accomplished cooks can pass on some pointers.

Thanks in advance.

Scott

[Nordwest]

Salt and pepper and olive oil in a hot cast iron skillet.

[atcjorg]

the first cardinal sin of cooking fish is overcooking it, there are many ways to cook ahi my personal favorite is marinated in newmans own italian dressing and grilled on the bbq about 2-3 min a side depending on thckness, enjoy!

[Vipergrün]

Originally Posted by Nordwest

Salt and pepper and olive oil in a hot cast iron skillet.

^^^^ This. And don't over cook it!

[tevake]

Marinade it in Bernstein's Italian Salid dressing/ marinade. Then use it for basting while cooking. Don't over cook it, very pink inside is good.

Ahi is the premiere fish for sashimi, sliced thin uncooked, dipped in spicy soy sauce.

Or in poisan creu , its cubed and soaked in a spicy lime juice mix. The lime cooks the fish a bit, this was my way into enjoying sashimi.

Cheers Richard

[vmb]

I am by no means an expert but I like to let the tuna sit a little bit at room temp, then do a quick flash pan fry as mentioned above. But then you need to immediately slice it. That lets the heat escape and prevents the dreaded overcooking as it sits on the plate waiting to be eaten. Stays nice and pink on the inside.

[VincentVega]

good advice

for the first time, cut it in half or thirds and cook each piece differently. Assuming a hot pan, an extra 10-20 seconds makes a difference on a normal sized fillet. See what you like. I like to lightly oil then cajun seasoning or salt and pepper, sear for ~30 seconds per side.

[Charles Freeborn]

Originally Posted by Nordwest

Salt and pepper and olive oil in a hot cast iron skillet.

This. Depending on thickness (and freshness) they'll only be in for a few minutes tops. I like it not much more than seared - still pink in the middle.

Epicurious.com is a good resource for recipes. Here's the seared Ahi search results:
Search | Epicurious.com

[Moses]

From one on my favorite restaurants in Hawaii;

Marinate the Ahi steaks for an hour or two. Heavily coat them with Montreal Steak seasoning. Sear them in a cast iron skillet VERY HOT. Slice thinly, serve on bed of sushi rice. Drizzle sauce over Ahi and rice. Serve extra sauce on the side. It's now a family favorite.

MARINADE

Olive oil
Soy Sauce
Sesame chili oil
Ginger
Garlic
Salt
Pepper


Cover ahi with Montreal Steak Seasoning


SAUCE

Mayonaisse
Sirachi
Garlic/ginger
Lemon juice
Soy sauce
Fresh ground pepper.

[intakexhaust]

In the oven broil- preset highest setting and top rack.

Foil placed on cookie sheet.

Light coat of -quality- extra virgin olive oil

Sprinkle of garlic salt and fresh ground pepper both sides

Top side gets a sprinkle of Hungarian paprika

Broil but stay close and watch it to where it has a bit of sear at the edge, maybe 4-5 min tops. Don't touch or move it. Depends on the broiler and height of rack. I like it where it just flakes apart and color in the middle.

Also, have the balance of the menu done and ready to serve on a pre-heated plate, last is the fish. I can't stand when a restaurant serves partial cold foods or cold plates. Throw that plate in the oven and pre-heat. Simple but makes a big difference.

[Craig T]

I mix 1 tbs of cayenne pepper, 1 tbs of black pepper, 1 tsp of garlic salt, and 1 tbs of sesame seeds in a bowl. I brush the steaks with olive oil and roll them in the mix. Heat a cast iron skillet on high heat and sear the steaks about 1/4" on all sides. It only takes about 20 seconds per side...and the searing will make your eyes water and lungs cough if you breath too deeply over it.

Pull the steaks and let them cool for a second, then slice them in 1/2" slices. Lay them out on a bed of spinach like spreading playing cards and sprinkle on some chopped scallions.

Never cook ahi all the way through. You might as well open a can of StarKist.




NOT like this!

[Geary]

Mmm .. Ahi ..

[bivenator]

Excellent advice all, looks pretty simple.

Hot pan essential.

Thanks

[jyl]

I marinate (if desired), chill in fridge, pre-heat pan, slap cold tuna steak into smoking hot oil in pan.

Logic is that you want to sear the thinnest possible outside layer while barely cooking the interior at all (since tuna is basically best when raw). So cold interior delays cooking.

Grill is usually not hot enough to achieve this.

I've used a charcoal chimney starter, full of white hot coals, place oiled grate on top, have a helper use blow dryer to push air into bottom of chimney so that flames roar from top like a jet engine on afterburner. Place tuna on grate, it'll be like 30 seconds per side.

[WPOZZZ]

Mix some mayo and Sriracha. Then add sea salt and a splash of soy sauce to taste. Mix in a couple tablespoons of tobiko and some sesame oil. Stir in cubed ahi, sprinkle with chopped green onions and you're done.

[Puma]

Why would you cook Ahi? Seriously, you're ruining the cleanest fish on earth by cooking it.

[enzo1]

10 Best Ahi Tuna Recipes!

[tevake]

Oh Brian, that tobiko sesame blend sounds great. Love the texture / taste of Tobiko.

Cheers Richard

[craigster59]

I know what I'm having Saturday.

[Bill Douglas]

I don't want to make you guys jealous or anythin'. But in Rarotonga (Cook Islands - over from Fiji a bit) I was buying tuna and marlin that had been swimming around earlier that day for NZDollar $8.00 a kilo, so that's about USD$5.70.

I splash them in rice bran oil, salt and pepper, then char grill them WITHOUT over cooking them. Perfect food.