• Share

PRINT

Many people today wonder if they’re maybe eating a little too much red meat, and are looking for alternatives. I suggest they try fresh tuna.

To me, a good sushi-grade ahi tuna steak is the closest thing you can eat from the sea that tastes like a great piece of beef. 

Deep rosy red in color, firm in texture and richly robust in flavor, fresh tuna is definitely the fish you want to eat if you’re trying to take a break from meat. Unlike red meat, it also provides heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids (though it isn’t as high in them as fattier fish like salmon).

To enjoy ahi at its best, I cook it no more than medium rare, leaving a definite layer of deep red at its center. That ensures the relatively lean fish doesn’t dry out, yielding the best possible taste and texture. 

I prepare it simply, too, quickly searing it over high heat after seasoning it with a sprinkling of salt and a layer of crushed black peppercorns like you’d find on a classic beefsteak cooked in the French au poivre (with pepper) style.

I also like to add a finishing touch in the form of a sauce, first deglazing the pan with a little port wine and cognac (the high heat evaporates most of the alcohol) and then whisking in some butter — just half a tablespoon per serving. 

Seared Tuna Steak Au Poivre

Serves 4

Ingredients:

¼ cup black peppercorns

4 sushi-grade ahi tuna steaks, about 6 ounces each

Kosher salt

1/3⅓⅓ cup port

¼ cup cognac

¾ cup good-quality low-sodium chicken stock or broth, or vegetable stock or broth, briskly simmered until reduced to about ½ cup 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 or 4 pieces

2 teaspoons bottled green peppercorns, drained

Directions:

Put the peppercorns in a small sealable food storage bag. Seal the bag, squeezing out any air. Place the bag flat on a work surface. With a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, crack peppercorns into coarse pieces.

Season the tuna steaks lightly on both sides with salt. Pour the cracked peppercorns onto a large plate or a sheet of wax paper and press each steak into the pepper, turning to coat both sides evenly.

In a small saucepan, combine the port and cognac. Place the pan over medium-high heat and simmer briskly, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces to only about 2 tablespoons. Pour in the reduced stock or broth and continue simmering until the mixture thickens to a consistency thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the pan from the heat and briskly whisk the butter a piece at a time into the reduced liquid. Adjust the seasoning to taste with a little more salt, if needed. Cover the pan and keep warm.

Heat a nonstick skillet large enough to hold the 4 tuna steaks in a single layer over high heat. Add the tuna to the hot skillet and sear on both sides until rare to medium-rare, 45 seconds to 1 minute.

To serve, cut each tuna steak crosswise into slices ½ inch thick. Spoon the sauce in the center of four warmed serving plates and arrange the tuna slices on top, overlapping them slightly. Garnish with green peppercorns. Serve immediately.

© 2020 Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.