This dish is pretty simple to cook and prepare. Preparation and cooking takes around 10-15 minutes.
The meal has one critical component: sushi grade tuna from a fishmonger you trust. If you have any doubts about this, ask the person selling the fish one direct question: can I use this for sushi tonight? If the answer comes back as anything but an unequivocal “yes” then I recommend looking elsewhere. While this fish will have a sear on it, it will not be cooked all the way through. Fresh, good quality fish is pretty important on this dish. I generally buy the fish the day before I am going to cook it, although if the fish is vacuum sealed I have kept it refrigerated two days before cooking it.
Ingredients
- one piece fresh Ahi Tuna (Tombo can be a great substitute if it’s available); one person can eat somewhere between .25 and .5 pounds, depending on how hungry you are. Most cuts will be between 3/4 of an inch to 1.5 inches thick
- toasted sesame oil
- coarse sea salt/kosher salt
- fresh ground pepper
Preparation
Step 1: Prepare the grill and get it heating. We sear the fish between 550° or 600°.
Step 2: Coat the fish with toasted sesame oil.
Step 3. Sprinkle one side of the fish with salt and fresh ground pepper. Flip and cover the second side.
Step 4. Wait until the grill gets to 550° or 600°.
Step 5. Place the fish on the grill and sear on one side for 30-45 seconds.
Flip and cook for an additional 30-45 seconds on the second side.
Seriously, avoid the temptation to cook it longer. Thirty seconds goes by really quickly, and with the grill at 550° that’s all you need.
To round out this meal for lunch, add a simple green salad.