Yellowfin Tuna Help

[sbu22]

Yellowfin (or, if you're trendy, ahi) steaks - how do you cook them to get the "Japanese" style - crusty on the outside (1/8 to 3/16") - and blood rare interior?
Tried the other night and got no "crust" and probably med rare interior. Most on line recipes I've seen seem to be going for the latter result. I'm not much of a cook, so a simple language explanation would be a great help. Thanks for the help.

[Low-N-Slow]

There's a Good Eats episode where Alton Brown uses a charcoal starter chimney to create an ultra-high temp mini grill for that purpose. He had an extremely thick chunk of tuna-- more like a 3" cube-- that he grilled for something like 30 seconds per face.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alto ... index.html

(Rereading it, I don't remember the rolling in sesame seeds part.)

[EatinAintCheatin]

If you have a crawfish burner and a large cast iron skillet you could do the blackening thing (not necessarily with blackening seasoning). Just be sure that the tuna is at room temp before putting into the skillet, rubbed with a little oil or butter and seasoned with whatever you want. Just make sure that the seasoning can stand up to the heat without burning (salt and cracked black pepper work for me).

On a recent Paul Prodhomme episode where he was blackening redfish he said that after much research he determined that the optimum temp for the skillet was 450°F. That seemed low to me but who am I to disagree with Chef Paul.

[hungryone]

1)you need a THICK piece of tuna; a 1" steak isn't thick enough. Either buy a bigger chunk, or ask the fishmonger to trim it into a long, thick rectangle rather than slicing it into steaks. Think block rather than filet. 2" thick rectangle works just fine.
2)a cast-iron skillet works fine, but the grill (preheated) works, too. If you have a gas grill, it's great, as you don't have to bother with charcoal setup for just a few minutes of cooking.
3)get the cooking surface very hot; 400-500 is great.
4)oil the exterior of the fish lightly (olive oil, sesame oil, butter, whatever grease complements your overall seasoning scheme). The oil will get hotter than the water in the tuna, forming the crust you desire.
5)if desired, press seasonings lightly into the surface. sichimi (japanese pepper blend), sesame seeds, cracked pepper, etc.
6)put the block of oiled tuna onto the cooking surface. Wait until the edges turn white and the "cooked" color creeps a bit up the sides of the block. Carefully turn the fish, repeating until all sides are seared. It is helpful to move the fish onto a "fresh" spot on the pan or grill as you turn it over.
7)if you like completely rare interiors & aren't planning to serve it immediately, you can quickly wrap it in saran & drop into an ice bath to stop the cooking. This works great for a cold presentation (sliced atop greens, etc).

I've watched japanese cooks sear the fish with a blowtorch, but in inexpert hands, you can definitely taste the torch fuel! Blech. I don't wanna taste MAPP gas with my fish, thanks.

[sbu22]

Low, Eatin, and Hungry - you guys are great! Good ideas, all. I think part of the problem is the cut - not thick enough. I'll be off in search of tuna tomorrow. With good tuna, even eating your mistakes isn't too bad. Thanks, again.

[Schuarta]

1)you need a THICK piece of tuna; a 1" steak isn't thick enough. Either buy a bigger chunk, or ask the fishmonger to trim it into a long, thick rectangle rather than slicing it into steaks. Think block rather than filet. 2" thick rectangle works just fine.
2)a cast-iron skillet works fine, but the grill (preheated) works, too. If you have a gas grill, it's great, as you don't have to bother with charcoal setup for just a few minutes of cooking.
3)get the cooking surface very hot; 400-500 is great.
4)oil the exterior of the fish lightly (olive oil, sesame oil, butter, whatever grease complements your overall seasoning scheme). The oil will get hotter than the water in the tuna, forming the crust you desire.
5)if desired, press seasonings lightly into the surface. sichimi (japanese pepper blend), sesame seeds, cracked pepper, etc.
6)put the block of oiled tuna onto the cooking surface. Wait until the edges turn white and the "cooked" color creeps a bit up the sides of the block. Carefully turn the fish, repeating until all sides are seared. It is helpful to move the fish onto a "fresh" spot on the pan or grill as you turn it over.
7)if you like completely rare interiors & aren't planning to serve it immediately, you can quickly wrap it in saran & drop into an ice bath to stop the cooking. This works great for a cold presentation (sliced atop greens, etc).

This is what I did, hot cast iron, olive oil, spices. Great taste. Results:

[JRO]

I go to Hong Kong market, get about a 3 pound chunk. Go home cut into 2"
thick rectangular pieces, little olive oil, Paul Prudhomme's seafood seasoning(liberally applied) Very hot coals on grill, at most 1 minute per side. Stays rare in middle, outside is similar to blackened. DEEEEELICIOUS

Last time $24 for entire chunk, fed six adults

[sbu22]

Thanks, Schuarta - looks great! JRO - you anticipated my next question - got the cast iron pan (needed that for a long time, anyway) - now I know where to find the tuna!

[Dilfan]

Just adding one additional point from experience. If you are going to heat up a cast iron pan to that high of a temp, be sure to use one that is "unseasoned" or that you don't plan to use for anything else. I ruined a seasoned pan from my grandmother during the blackening craze. It's taken years, but I almost have it back to that "glassy" look.