Pan-Seared Sesame-Crusted Tuna Steaks

By Tamipri

Ingredients

• Ginger-Soy Sauce with Scallions:
• 1 1/2 c. sesame seeds
• 8 tuna steaks (yellowfin preferably), (8 oz. each and about 1" thick)
• 4 Tb. vegetable oil
• table salt and ground black pepper
• 1/2 c. soy sauce
• 1/2 c. rice vinegar
• 1/2 c. water
• 5 tsp. sugar
• 2 medium scallions, sliced thin
• 4 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 1 Tb. toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• Avocado-Orange Salsa:
• 2 large oranges
• 2 ripe avocados, diced medium
• 4 Tb. minced red onion
• 3 Tb. lime juice from 2 limes
• 2 small jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
• 1/4 c. minced fresh cilantro leaves
• table salt

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

1. Spread sesame seeds in shallow baking dish or pie plate. Pat tuna steaks dry with paper towels; use 2 Tb. oil to rub both sides of all steaks, then sprinkle each with salt and pepper. Press both sides of each steak in sesame seeds to coat.

2. Heat 1 Tb. oil in 12" nonstick skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke; swirl to coat pan. Add 4 tuna steaks and cook 30 seconds without moving steaks. Reduce heat to medium-high; continue to cook until seeds are golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Using tongs, carefully flip tuna steaks; cook, without moving steaks, until golden brown on second side, about 1 1/2 minutes for rare (opaque at perimeters and translucent red and cool at center when checked with tip of paring knife) or 3 minutes for medium-rare (opaque at perimeters and reddish pink at center). Transfer cooked tuna steaks to plate. Add remaining tablespoon oil to pan and repeat with remaining 4 steaks. To serve, cut into 1/4" thick slices. Serve with Ginger-Soy Sauce with Scallions or Avocado-Orange Salsa.

Variation: Follow recipe for Pan-Seared Sesame-Crusted Tuna Steaks, omitting sesame seeds and ground black peper and pressing 1/2 tsp. cracked black or white peppercorns into each side of oiled tuna steaks.

For Ginger-Soy Sauce with Scallions: Combine all ingredients in small bowl, stirring to dissolve sugar.

For Avocado-Orange Salsa: To keep the avocado from discoloring, prepare this salsa just before you cook the tuna steaks. Working with one orange at a time, cut 1/2" off the top and bottom or orange; set orante on cut side on cutting board. Working from top to bottom, cut away peel and pith in large strips, following contour of orange. Remove flesh in wedge-shaped segments by slicing into orange on both sides of white membrane; cut segments into 1/2" pieces. Combine all ingredients, including salt to taste, in a small bowl.