Nutrition
| Fats | % DV* |
| Total Fat 17g | 22% |
| Saturated 2.5g | 13% |
| Trans 0g | |
| Polyunsaturated 5.5g | |
| Monounsaturated 8g | |
| Cholesterol 65mg | 22% |
| Sodium 1,240mg | 54% |
| Carbs, Protein and Micronutrients | % DV* |
| Total Carbohydrate 8g | 3% |
| Dietary Fiber 2g | 7% |
| Total Sugars 3g | |
| Protein 45g | 90% |
| Selenium 160mcg | 290% |
| Vitamin B12 3.5mcg | 146% |
| Potassium 810mg | 17% |
Ingredients
- 1 (12oz) Fresh Ahi Tuna Steak (Yellowfin), sushi grade, cut into 2 steaks of even thicknessFeatured
- 1 tbsp Neutral high-heat oil, such as avocado or grapeseed
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 3 tbsp Sesame seeds, white and black mixed (sesame way)
- 2 tbsp Soy sauce, plus 2 tsp rice vinegar and 1 tsp honey, for the dipping sauce (sesame way)
- 1 tsp each Grated fresh ginger and toasted sesame oil, plus 1 scallion, thinly sliced (sesame way)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Black peppercorns, coarsely cracked (pepper way)
- 1 lemon Cut in wedges, plus 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and flaky sea salt to finish (pepper way)
Preparation
- Whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, ginger and sesame oil in a small bowl and stir in the scallion.
- Spread the sesame seeds on a plate wide enough to hold a steak flat, or crack the peppercorns coarsely under the base of a heavy pan.
- Season the steaks on all sides with the kosher salt and let them sit 5 minutes.
- Cut the lemon into wedges and set the olive oil and flaky salt beside the stove.
- Put a cutting board, a thin sharp knife and a cold resting plate within reach of the pan.
- Turn on the vent fan and open a window; a dry pan at searing heat will smoke.
How to Cook
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Heat the pan dry
Set a heavy skillet over high heat with nothing in it and give it a full 3 to 4 minutes. It is ready when a drop of water skitters across the surface and vanishes on contact. Only then add the oil, swirl it once and wait for the first wisp of smoke. Oil added to a cold pan burns before the pan is hot enough, so the fish lands on bitter oil and a surface too cool to crust.
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Build the crust
This is where the two ways part. For the sesame way, brush the steaks with a thin film of the dipping sauce so the seeds have something to grip, then press each face and side into the seeds until they hold in one even layer. For the pepper way, press the steaks into the cracked pepper the same way, sides included, and add a last pinch of salt. Work quickly so the fish stays cold, and shake off loose crust, which will scorch before the steak is done.
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Sear 45 to 60 seconds a side
Lay the steaks in the pan away from you and leave them alone. Count 45 seconds for a 1-inch steak and 60 for anything thicker, then turn with tongs and repeat; give each edge 10 to 15 seconds if you want crust all the way around. Sesame is done when it is golden and popping, pepper when it smells toasted and a little sweet. On the cut edge you should see a pale band no deeper than a quarter inch creeping in from each face.
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Rest, then slice thick
Move the steaks to a cold plate for 2 to 3 minutes and do not tent them. Resting sets the crust so it does not fall off under the knife, and the center will read 110 to 115F: cool, deep ruby and soft to the touch, inside a firm cooked rim you can both see and feel. Slice across the grain into half-inch pieces, one pulling stroke per slice. Sawing back and forth shreds the raw center and knocks the crust loose.
How to Serve
Fan the slices on a warm plate so the ruby cross-section faces up, because that cross-section is the whole point of the dish. Serve the sesame way with the dipping sauce in a small bowl on the side rather than poured over the fish; the crust goes soft in under a minute once it is sauced. Serve the pepper way with lemon wedges, a thread of your best olive oil across the cut faces and a few flakes of sea salt.
- Slice just before serving. Cut tuna oxidizes at the surface and starts to brown within 20 minutes.
- On the pepper way, squeeze the lemon over the slices, not the crust, so the pepper stays crunchy.
- Warm the plates and keep the fish cool. The contrast between a warm crust and a cold center is the texture you are after.
What to serve it with. Keep the sides quiet, since the fish is the loud part of the plate:
- Steamed short-grain rice and quick-pickled cucumber with the sesame way
- A shaved fennel and orange salad with the pepper way
- Blistered green beans or snap peas tossed with a little sesame oil
- Crusty bread and a bowl of good olive oil for dragging through the lemon and pepper drippings
