Follow our tips for buying and cooking tuna steaks. This meaty and tasty fish is delicious grilled or fried, especially when marinated in herbs and spices.
Tuna has firm meaty meat and a rich, strong flavor due to its high oil content. Because tuna is oily, meat sheds faster than other fish, so buy it as fresh as you can. The tuna will have already been peeled, boned, and cut into portions when you buy it, making it a very easy fish to use as there is minimal preparation other than adding flavor, and it is exceptionally quick to cook.
Buying
Tuna is mainly sold as fillets. You can also see tenderloin strips for sushi and sashimi, and paler belly fillets (bull in Japanese) that are cut from the fat belly. Look for firm, dense dark red or dark red meat when buying tuna loin or steaks, and make sure it’s from a sustainable source – check the Marine Stewardship Council website for the latest tips. Choose thicker fillets as these will cook much better
How to cook tuna
The tuna dries quite quickly and crumbles, so it must be cooked very briefly over high heat in a frying pan, on a griddle or on a barbecue; or cooked under oil (candied), sous vide or simmered in a sauce. Tuna can be served lightly cooked, or cooked in a crust on the outside and raw in the center, known as tataki in Japan. The pan or grill makes it easier to control.
Because tuna has a fairly robust flavor, you can easily add herbs, spices, and flavors to it without worrying about overwhelming the flavor. Marinating the tuna steak will add flavor to the surface, but will not make it juicier; Keeping a close eye on the steak while cooking is the only way to make sure it doesn’t dry out.
Fried tuna steak recipe
For 2 persons
2 thick tuna steaks
olive oil for brushing
Brush the tuna steaks lightly with oil and season.
Place the tuna steaks in a hot skillet over high heat and cook for 1-2 minutes, depending on the thickness of the tuna steaks.
Flip the tuna over and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side. Look at the side of the tuna to see how cooked it is, but remember that it will continue to cook for a short time when it is removed from the heat. Rest a few minutes before serving.
Grilled tuna steak recipe
For 2 persons
2 thick tuna steaks
olive oil for brushing
Brush the tuna steaks lightly with oil and season.
Place the tuna steaks in a hot skillet over high heat (the skillet must be very hot) and cook for 1-2 minutes depending on the thickness of the tuna steaks. If you want to make a criss-cross pattern on the surface, rotate the tuna 90 degrees in half.
Turn carefully and cook the same way for 1 minute. Look at the side of the tuna to see how cooked it is, but remember that it will continue to cook for a short time when it is removed from the heat. Cook a little more if you prefer. Rest a few minutes before serving.
