# What do I do with Tuna Steaks **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 8, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-tuna-steaks/407314 "2007-06-08T21:43:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-tuna-steaks/407314/1 "2007-06-08T21:43:05Z")
The title says it all really. My Mom gave me these tuna steaks she picked up. I have no idea how to prepare them. Any suggestions, oh, and what do I serve them with? ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-tuna-steaks/407314/2 "2007-06-08T22:18:04Z")
If they are good quality steaks, I would suggest slapping some freshly cracked black pepper on them (press it in a bit so it stays on as you cook) and just barely searing them on either a really hot grill (best) or a really hot pan (pretty good, but not best). You should end up with a cool red center, and just a bit of white around the edges. Yum. I’d serve it with some sort of green stuff (salad, green beans, whatever) and maybe some mashed potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-tuna-steaks/407314/3 "2007-06-08T22:36:58Z")
Marinate and grill them. Serve with garden vegetables and a light red wine/rose. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-tuna-steaks/407314/4 "2007-06-08T22:37:51Z")
Give them to me. —drool— [QUOTE=lightingtool] If they are good quality steaks, I would suggest slapping some freshly cracked black pepper on them (press it in a bit so it stays on as you cook) and just barely searing them on either a really hot grill (best) or a really hot pan (pretty good, but not best). You should end up with a cool red center, and just a bit of white around the edges. [/QUOTE] This is the standard classic approach, and will work well. It’s what I do. (I also make a miso dipping sauce, usually. Ponzu is pretty good, too.) Important tip: You want to make sure your heat source is _very very hot_, and also very _heavy._ If you do this in a pan, it needs to be thick and substantial, not that flimsy little aluminum number. You want something that will retain its heat even after a cold piece of meat is slapped onto it, because you want a slightly browned crust, less than a quarter inch of cooking penetration (more like an eighth of an inch), and most of the flesh in the center very rare. You don’t get that over low heat or with a light pan or skinny little grill rails. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-tuna-steaks/407314/5 "2007-06-08T22:39:39Z")
A little lime, some onions and spinich. A pinch of pepper. You’ll be good to go! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-tuna-steaks/407314/6 "2007-06-08T23:15:31Z")
YOu can also sear them, chop them into chunks, and serve them with chopped red onion, fresh chilli peppers, avocados, cilantro, and lime juice. This is my wife’s favorite way to eat tuna. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-tuna-steaks/407314/7 "2007-06-08T23:28:25Z")
You know what’s really good on tuna steak? Chopped pistachios. Yummmmm ---
**Author:** ![krisolov](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/krisolov/32/3724_2.png) [@krisolov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krisolov)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-tuna-steaks/407314/8 "2007-06-08T23:37:27Z")
liberally sprinkled with lemon pepper or montreal steak seasoning and seared on a really damn hot grill or iron frying pan for a minute or two a side (I like mine less raw inside). Grill some asparagus along side it, and a nice seasoned rice of your choice. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-tuna-steaks/407314/9 "2007-06-09T03:26:26Z")
[Here](http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_19290,00.html?rsrc=search) is Alton Brown’s recipe. It involves putting a grate over a charcoal lighting chimney, which creates the extreme heat needed for quick searing. It’s a cool episode of _Good Eats_, and I’ve always wanted to try the technique. ---
**Author:** ![buckgully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@buckgully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buckgully)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-tuna-steaks/407314/10 "2007-06-09T05:23:04Z")
I’ve done Alton Brown’s method several times, and it’s great. I wouldn’t suggest it for anything but high grade, deep red tuna, though. We tried it once with some cheaper, pre-marinaded tuna steaks from Trader Joe’s and it came out tasting like salty cat food. The 15 to 30 second cooking time is not a typo. Wear heavy leather gloves, it’s like cooking over a jet engine. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-tuna-steaks/407314/11 "2007-06-09T12:18:12Z")
:smack: move along - nothing to see here… ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-tuna-steaks/407314/12 "2007-06-09T14:03:01Z")
\*\*What do I do with Tuna Steaks \*\* I 'unno. Drive them through the hearts of tuna vampires? ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-tuna-steaks/407314/13 "2007-06-10T02:34:45Z")
[QUOTE=lightingtool] If they are good quality steaks, I would suggest slapping some freshly cracked black pepper on them (press it in a bit so it stays on as you cook) and just barely searing them on either a really hot grill (best) or a really hot pan (pretty good, but not best). You should end up with a cool red center, and just a bit of white around the edges. Yum. I’d serve it with some sort of green stuff (salad, green beans, whatever) and maybe some mashed potatoes. [/QUOTE] do the above, but put hoisen sauce on the side for dipping instead of the green stuff. serious yum. cook some parmesan couscous. you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-tuna-steaks/407314/14 "2007-06-10T03:27:42Z")
Thanks for the ideas guys, I’ll do this tomorrow. I have a cast iron frying pan and a cast iron griddle, I assume either of these would work? ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-tuna-steaks/407314/15 "2007-06-10T05:50:09Z")
[QUOTE=Scubaqueen] cook some parmesan couscous. you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven. [/QUOTE] do share your recipe.