Tuna on the Grill

The summertime aroma of a distant charcoal grill is enough to reinvigorate the most stubborn of appetites. The scent of barbecued meat wafting through a warm backyard smells inviting, the thought of ingesting several ounces of red meat may not be. For those of us desiring something a bit lighter from our grill, we turn to tuna.

Though there are a few species of the deep-swimming tuna fish, two of the most common terms you'll encounter are ahi and yellowfin. Ahi is the Hawaiian table name for two species of tuna, yellowfin and bigeye, two of the most common tunas for steaking. Both species have a firm meat and relatively mild flavor, which makes them too delicate for thorough cooking. Because bigeye tuna swim deeper than yellowfin tuna, they produce more insulative fat and develop a slightly different meat texture. If you're buying from a reputable fishmonger, they'll distinguish between these two; furthermore, if you're buying reputably, both options produce a very nice steak. When purchasing the steaks, you'll be looking for something like this:


Notice the uniformly deep, red color and slightly reflective texture. Some of the steaks you see may contain what appear to be darker portions, which is okay. Darker portions are simply larger fatty deposits in the meat, and you can easily cut them out if you prefer.

My favorite way to prepare such steaks is to crust them with spices, then sear them over a grill or beneath a broiler and serve with a garlic aioli.


Seared Moroccan Spice-Crusted Tuna with Aioli

Two 4-6oz. tuna steaks
4 tablespoons coriander
2 tablespoons fennel
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chives, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Extra virgin olive oil

First, prepare a hot grill or broiler, arranging the rack of the grill or oven no more than three inches from the heat source.

Next, combine coriander, fennel, cumin and peppercorns. Grind in a coffee grinder or mortar until fine. Add salt to spices, reserving one heavy pinch for aioli. Set aside. To make aioli, combine the chives, lemon juice, garlic, and mayonnaise and mix well. Mix the reserved pinch of salt into this mixture. Set aside. Prepare the tuna steaks by patting dry with paper towels. When dry, coat both sides of each steak with the spice rub, then drizzle ~1/4 teaspoon of oil on both sides of each steak.

Place tuna on hot grill or broiler. Cook for two minutes over high heat, then flip and cook an additional two minutes. Remove from heat, set on plate and cover with foil. Allow tuna to rest for one minute, then serve next to a bed of greens with aioli on the side.