Seared Tuna Question

[PurpleGold]

Alright guys and gals, need some help here. Tried searing tuna in a cast iron skillet the last two nights and just can't seem to get the hang of it. I've tried different temps, different spice rubs and sauces, different frying pans, and everything else i can think of. Everything I've cooked has been Ok but not the knock out taste I am looking for. I can't seem to get the good blackened crust to form on the fish like you see in restaurants. I want to blacken the outside of the tuna while leaving most of the inside still very rare. I know somebody on SFC has to be an expert at this. Any pointers?

[POON MAN]

I am sure that there will be somebody better qualified to answer this

from what i was shown and have tried

i use 2 skillets get them almost burning hot

hit the surfaces of the Tuna that you want to grill with olive oil press them in the sesame dish and send to skillet quick on one side and then over to the other skillet for finish

the reason for 2 skillets is that you will lose heat once the fish hit's the first one

[Capt-D]

We always put the cast iron skillet outside on a turkey fryer/crab steamer burner and get it almost red hot. Use Chef Paul's Blackened Red Fish Seasoning on both sides. Drop it, Pick it Up, Flip, Drop it and Pick it up. Done.

-D

[SeaBiscuit]

I use small symmetrical loins for this. Blackfin loins are perfect size, end pieces from yellowfins work also.
Lightly rub loins with sesame oil & season with coarse salt, garlic powder, chili flakes.
Press onto sesame seeds.
HOT, heavy skillet. No more than 10 seconds per side (do all four)
Let cool. I keep mine in the fridge for up to two days. Slice to suit your taste.
Little square pieces look and taste great!
SeaBiscuit

[POON MAN]

Sea Biscuit i stand corrected it was sesame oil not olive

[BTH284]

I use the small medallion size steaks or the small tail end loins both blackfin or yellowfin. Let sit in a good thick seasame ginger marinade for a day. Then coat lightly in COARSE fresh ground black pepper or seasame seeds.... your preference. I use the side burner gas eye on my grill as doing this inside will flat out smoke you out of house and home. Just a few drops of olive oil or canola oil and let the pan get white hot When it heats up the oil will thin out and coat the entire pan. Sear the meat for a few seconds on all 4 sides like Biscuit said. The marinade if you use it will carmelize on the meat with a black pepper crust or seasame seed crust. It shows done in a 1" - 1 1/2" thick piece of meat when all four sides are done about 1/4" around, the middle will be rare to raw. TIP: take the pan off the grill when you think it is almost done. It will continue to cook out for the next few minutes.
If you use the marinade be prepared to use that pan only for searing as it will be hard to completely clean all sides of the pan to use again from the sugar in the marinade carmelizing.

[fishskipper]

Ok ... heres the stuff get a little oil hot in your skillet.... get some Lawrys Seasoned Pepper.... coat your steaks with the pepper .. throw them in the skillet till they turn brown about 2 minutes and turn over and do the other side. fix a little wasabi with some soy sauce and your in business! Make sure you see how the grain of your steaks run and don't cut across it.

[htwoopup]

all above are great tips...the one thing i learned from a professional chef...bail on the olive oil...use grapeseed oil...it has a much higher smoke point so you can get it much much much hotter for that seared outside cool/raw middle that is so good. a little pricey but definitely worth it!

[Wasabi]

Okay, I've waited long enough. I am going to share some serious secrets here. First of all, this is also how I like my ribeyes cooked. Burnt on the outside but rare on the inside. Obviously it helps to have a thick steak. 1 1/2 inches thick is good. Don't know about you guys cooking on four sides? There are two flat sides and then four sides around the edge or are you calling this two sides? Don't know.

Here goes. I generally cut my steaks 1 1/2 inches thick. I make them about ten to twelve ounces. I season with lots of pepper and garlic. Enough pepper to turn it black. You will be slicing these thinly so this doesn't end up being too much after it's cooked.

Now here's the secret. I generally take my cut steaks and vacuum seal them and put them in the freezer. Probably a lot of you guys do to.

Well, when you take them out of the freezer DON'T thaw them. That's right. Put them in the fridge until the flat sides start to thaw just a little bit. Now get your pan hot as you can without burning the oil you are using. Sesame works great but so does olive oil if you are health nut. If I use olive oil, I also spray the steaks before putting them on the frying pan and after I season them.

Anyway, put them on the HOT pan for thirty seconds to a minute. Watch the sides as you can tell how deep you are cooking. You don't want to cook deep. The frozen center protects the steak and keeps it from cooking. You get the outside black and you take it off just as the center has completely thawed. This gives you a burnt crust on the outside but a sashime rare center.

Doesn't get any better.

By the way, try a little goat cheeze spread on them after they cook. Mix up your wasabi and soy sauce and get after it!

Enjoy.

[htwoopup]

wasabi's talking about pepper and garlic reminded me...another option is 1/2 black sesame seeds and half white sesame seeds. put in a heavy freezer bag and squash up the seeds with something heavy like lightly hitting with a hammer or rolling pin (whichever you keep in the kitchen) then bounce the steaks in the bag to coat em.