Ahi Tuna Marinated in Sesame Oil

While shopping at the Kroger, they often have clearance prices on items about to pass their expiration date. This week, I was able to snag a chunk of sashimi-grade ahi tuna for 32% off the regular price. That meant researching to find a recipe. This recipe was posted on the Wild Alaska Salmon & Seafood company website, where it is credited to Bowl of Deliciousness. If you want to read the full recipe, go to Bowl of Deliciousness. I am going to try to make the recipe exactly as it appears without alteration. As always, the 4x6 recipe card JPG can be downloaded and printed on 4x6 photo paper to put in your recipe box.

For equipment, you will need:

1. A skillet. I used a Henckels 3-ply stainless steel skillet (because I've learned how to use stainless steel just like nonstick).
2. A paper towel to pat the tuna dry. I get my paper towels from Dollar Tree. I haven't yet taken the time to see if this actually saves me money.
3. A mixing bowl. I use a set of glass pyrex bowls I got from Amazon. The lower case pyrex means this is made from the older, tougher glass formula.
4. A whisk to mix the marinade. I bought the 3-piece set from Kroger on a BOGO sale.
5. A slotted turner, preferably silicone. When I was a kid, we just used to call this a spatula.
6. Various measuring spoons. I like the set I got from Amazon, as they are thin enough to fit into spice jars.
7. A plastic bag for marinating. I just used a freezer Ziplock.
8. Because some wise-cracker will comment if I don't include this, you'll also need a heat source, such as a stove top.
9. A knife and cutting surface to slice the tuna after cooking. I use a wood cutting board because the University of Wisconsin did a study proving properly maintained wood cutting boards are best at preventing germ build-up.

For ingredients, you will need:

1. An 8-oz. chunk of sashimi-grade ahi tuna (best time to catch deals at my store is around 11am weekdays)
2. 2 tablespoons soy sauce (I just buy the cheapest; this time it was Kikkoman)
3. 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil (read the bottle to make sure it says "made from toasted sesame seeds)
4. 1 tablespoon honey (I just buy the cheapest)
5. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6. 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
7. 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
8. 1 tablespoon olive oil
9. green onions (sliced), toasted sesame seeds, and lime wedges for serving (optional)

Pat the ahi tuna steaks dry with a paper towel.

Place inside a plastic bag.

Combine remaining ingredients except the olive oil. That is going to be used to grease your pan. Use the whisk to mix the ingredients together until the honey is dissolved.

Put 1-2 spoons of marinade is a bowl to save as garnish.

Pour the remaining marinade in the bag with the tuna. Seal the bag, and turn it several times to coat the meat.

Allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes, or up to overnight in the refrigerator. If you are going to marinade this overnight, you may wish to remove the kosher salt and change the soy sauce to low salt. This will prevent the tuna from getting too salty. I let mine sit on one side for 1 hour, flipped it, and marinated the other side for 1 hour.

If you are using a stainless steel skillet, prepare it using the water test method. When I create an Instructables for this, I'll add a link here.

If you are using a non-stick skillet, heat it over medium-high to high for 1 minute to get it prepared.

If you are using a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, heat it for 3-5 minutes.

Add the olive oil to the pan. Since I am using a stainless steel pan, I am not using the entire tablespoon of olive oil. I only need enough to coat the bottom of the pan.

Put tuna in the pan, discarding the marinade and the bag. Sear the tuna to desired doneness. The amount of time it takes depends on the temperature of the tuna when you start cooking, the thickness of the steak, and the heat of your heating source. Below is a guesstimate. However, YOUR RESULTS MAY VARY. Please use these times as a guideline only.

1. 30 seconds each side for rare
2. 1-1½ minutes each side for medium rare
3. 2-2½ minutes each side for medium-well to well

Move cooked tuna to a place you can slice it, like a cutting board.

Slice the tuna into ½-inch slices. This will stop the residual cooking and keep your meat at your desired doneness.

Move the tuna to two serving plates. Pour on the reserved marinade. If desired, serve garnished with sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and fresh lime wedges.

This is probably the prettiest plate I've ever assembled. Taste-wise, though, it was a little bland. I got some heat from the cayenne, but the remaining flavors were not present. I'm wondering if some of them got lost in the black crusting the tuna took one while cooking. That crusting did not taste burnt; it was just a bit disappointing.

What about cost? If you don't have these things in your pantry, there will be an initial investment cost. Per serving, though, the cost is $3.40.

The recipe is fairly easy to do. If I find more tuna on sale, I may repeat it. However, I don't think this recipe is worth going out of my way to make.