Seared Tuna Steak with Soy Sauce Gravy
You will love this Seared Tuna Steak with Soy Sauce Gravy and a Spicy Mayo sauce! It tastes like eating sushi! It’s pretty much a deconstructed spicy tuna roll. The Ahi Tuna is cooked rare to keep its delicate side in tact. The soy sauce gravy add a bit of boldness to the dish, while the spicy mayo sauce give you a little kick! Get each of the elements in every bite to truly enjoy this meal!
Ahi Tuna Steak
Tuna steak is a great way to eat tuna. We’re all familiar with the canned tuna, which has it’s place. But a nice tuna steak is a great way to mix it up a bit! The first time I had a tuna steak was at the restaurant I used to work at. I was a bit nervous when I saw the red inside when the chef cut it open. Once I tried it, i was hooked!
Ahi Tuna is also known as yellow-fin tuna. It’s one of the most popular tunas used for sushi. It has a firm texture but a nice delicate flavor. It’s also commonly used for Poke (pronounced poe-KAY) which is a popular Hawaiian diced raw tuna appetizer. Ahi tuna is know to have little issues, but it is always a good idea to ask if the tuna you’re buying is sushi grade or safe to eat raw.
Seared Tuna Steak
Tuna steak is best eaten rare. If you are concerned, then medium-rare would be the most I’d recommend. Many recipes use sesame seeds to completely coat the entire outside of the fish. I find that to be overkill because you get a huge sesame flavor and lose a lot of the flavor of the tuna. So I simply use salt and pepper to season it and top it with sesame seeds.
To sear the tuna steak, get a pan nice and hot with some oil in it – I use olive oil or avocado oil. Season the steak with salt and pepper and place it in the plan for 1-2 minutes. Flip it and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Turn it on its side to sear it, about 30 seconds will do. Keep turning it until all the sides are seared. That’s it! You’re done in less than 5 minutes.
Soy Sauce Gravy
You can certainly use straight soy sauce for this meal if you don’t have the time for the gravy, but it’s well worth the 10-12 minutes to make it! The added beef stock and Mirin give this a heartier and bolder flavor and cuts the saltiness of the soy sauce.
Take medium sauce pan over high heat and add 1 cup of soy sauce, 1 cup of beef stock, 2 tablespoons of Mirin, and 2 smashed garlic cloves. Make a slurry out of 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Bring the liquid to boil and slowly whisk in the cornstarch slurry. As soon as it’s all in, lower the heat to low and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes. Be sure to fish out the garlic cloves. (Did you catch that pun!)
Spicy Mayo Sauce
Many people love that spicy mayo sauce served with sushi! One of my all time favorites it a spicy tuna hand roll. And let me tell you, this meals taste so mush like that!
This Spicy Mayo Sauce is so good, one of the girls that helps me out took a bunch of this home with her and uses it on everything! And it’s so simple to make. Here’s what you need:
- 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 Cup Ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon Sriracha Sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Paprika (or you can use smoked paprika to get a smokier flavor)
Just mix it all together well, and you’re done!
Pro Tips – Cooking the Rice
When cooking the rice, add a tablespoon of Mirin to sweeten it up a bit.
You can also add a couple teaspoons of Wasabi Powder to get that kick of wasabi in each bite.
Pro Tips – Cooking the Asparagus
I used asparagus with this meal because they look a little like bamboo. So the way I stacked them looks like the tuna is sitting in ‘bamboo basket.’
Cut each asparagus the same length to fit on the plate.
Blanch the asparagus to keep the rich green color and firm texture.
Blanching – boil the asparagus for only 3 minutes. Have a bowl with ice water standing by. Immediately after the 3 minutes is up, completely submerge the asparagus in the ice bath. Take them out after 1-2 minutes so they don’t get water logged. When you’re ready to serve, warm them back up for 30 seconds in the microwave.
Plating Seared Tuna Steak with Soy Sauce Gravy
You can, of course, plate this anyway you want to. However, I had guest over and I wanted to go with the “Wow” factor. Here’s the step by step to make an elegant presentation:
1. Start by spooning about 1/4 cup of the Soy Sauce Gravy onto the plate.
2. Tilt the plate in a circular motion to spread the gravy around
3. Begin adding the asparagus in a box pattern, laying the tail end on top of the head end.
4. Be sure to tuck the last head end under the tail end of the first piece you plated.
5. Continue with the same pattern for 2 more layers to complete you ‘bamboo basket.’
6. Spoon some rice into the middle of the basket.
7. Carefully place the sliced tuna steak on to of the rice and basket. Lay the first half down, and stand the second half up.
8. Drizzle some of the Spicy Mayo Sauce over the tuna steaks.
9. Sprinkle some sesame seeds over the dish. I like to use a mix of white and black sesame seeds. Now it’s ready to serve!
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Seared Tuna Steak with Soy Sauce Gravy
Ingredients
Tuna Steak
- 1 pound Tuna Steaks (about 2 steaks)
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seeds (see notes)
Soy Sauce Gravy
- 1 cup Soy Sauce
- 1 cup Beef Stock
- 1 Tablespoon Mirin
- 2 cloves Garlic, smashed
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons Water
Spicy Mayo Sauce
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon Sriracha Sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Paprika
Instructions
Spicy Mayo Sauce
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Add all the ingredients - mayonnaise, ketchup, sriracha sauce, and paprika - to a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
Soy Sauce Gravy
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In a medium sauce pan, add the soy sauce, beef stock, Mirin, and garlic, and bring it to a boil.
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Mix the cornstarch with the water to make a slurry. Slowly whisk in the slurry.
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Reduce it to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the garlic cloves before serving.
Tuna Steak
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In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
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Season both sides of the tuna with salt and pepper.
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Place the steaks in the skillet. Allow them to cook for only 1-2 minutes and turn over. Cook for only another 1-2 minutes.
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Turn the steaks on their side and sear for about 30 seconds. Keep turning the steaks on their sides to sear all sides.
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Top with the Soy Sauce Gravy, Spicy Mayo Sauce, and sesame seeds.
Recipe Notes
Toasted Sesame Seeds
- Place the sesame seeds in a small skillet (8").
- Turn the heat to medium low.
- Periodically stir the seeds to prevent burning.
- The sesame seeds are done when they look oily, about 5-8 minutes.
Oh my goodness, this is so good! The recipe was easy to follow and the food was exceptional! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much, Paula! I’m so glad you liked it! I’m happy you found the recipe easy to follow. the plating makes it seem a little intimidating, but it’s a super easy meal to make. Thanks again!