Grilled Tuna Steak(s)

with Roasted Garlic Rosemary Potatoes

                                                       *Pictured: Lime & Dry Rub Tuna Steaks

This entry looks looooong but it includes THREE variations of Tuna Steak-Marinated, a Picante Dry Rub and a Lime version-all of which are original and all mine. 


Ingredients
2 1 lb cuts of fresh tuna steak cut in half height wise or thick wise, if I can coin a phrase
2 small green chili peppers (something a notch below the heat of a habanero) finely chopped
4 russet potatoes cut up into nothing larger than 2 inches in any direction
8 oz olive oil (2 for potatoes and the remaining for Marinade)
4 garlic cloves diced
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary dried crushed rosemary
fresh lime juice
vegetable spray


Marinade:
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder


Dry Rub:
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder


Pre-heat oven to 425º


For the three variations (I have a zillion) I have done tonight, start with the Marinade. In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and follow with the remaining dry ingredients.  Whisk until a nice even mix has been achieved.  Add all 4 pieces of fish into the Marinade and flip and alternate until all pieces are at least wet or submerged.  Put in the fridge for 30 minutes (rearranging the tuna 15 minutes in).


While the tuna soaks in the Marinade, cut your potatoes and put in a large bowl.  Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the bowl followed by the garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary.  Mix, making sure all pieces of potato are covered.  Empty the contents of the bowl into a glass baking dish prepared with vegetable spray and place on the center rack of the oven.  Cook for 45 minutes.


While you wait for the tuna to marinate and the potatoes to cook, combine the ingredients of the Dry Rub in a small bowl and mix up (with clean, dry fingers or a fork or…to be honest, I don’t care what you use, just mix it) until no one color/ingredient dominates the rub.


Preheat your Grill, Griddler, grill pan or whatever grill-type thing you need on High if you are dealing with slim cuts (like I did here) that you want cooked through or (for thick cuts) if you like your tuna pink in the middle.  Otherwise, Medium-High and do a slow cook to cook all the way through (non-pink) for a thick cut piece so that you don’t over-cook the outsides.  *I’ve screwed this up many times.  It’s an expensive lesson to learn but worth it to get to where you are confident to make it the ideal way.


Remove your tuna from the fridge and move two pieces from the bowl to paper towels and wrap individually.  Pat dry and lay side-by-side on a work surface.  Cover the first tuna steak enough of the Dry Rub that it covers it one whole side and, well, rub it.  Spread the chopped chiles sparingly over the rub. Turn it over and repeat on the other side with the rub and peppers. Leave the second, towel-dried piece alone for now.


Lay the first two portions onto your choice of vegetable sprayed grill-type thing.  Remove the remaining steaks from the bowl and add to the heated surface while still wet.  Douse the odd man out (the non-rub, non-dripping one) in lime juice and season with pepper.  You can re-lime juice him (and drip the remaining marinade on the two “wet” ones) when it comes time to flip.


Cook for about 3 minutes on each side for thin cuts that you want cooked all the way through or thick cuts where you want the middle pink. Use your judgment for thick cuts that you want cooked though-cut through it to test. *Different grills, of whatever type you use, can cook at different "tru temps", so always feel out your own threshhold .


Take out the potatoes at allow to cool for a few minutes and allow the fish to continue cooking.  While this is being done you can prepare your salad, bread or anything else you plan on serving.


Carefully remove the fish from your grill-type thing (if you are a presentation snob like this spaz, you don’t want them to rip or split) and plate with your potatoes and any other accompaniments.




Notes:


Obviously it won't have as many steps when you just pick one variation---I'm the only idiot to do three different types of one fish in one sesssion (and secret: while things were cooking I cooked the scraps a 4th way with dijon mustard as a snack which I'll walk you through another time.)


These were all my creations and unplanned as I had one of those days where you end in Whole Foods with your ingredient list for the meal you planned (excitedly) in your hand only to clench that sucker when you find out that they are not only out of the key ingredient to the thing BUT also the “cheat”, substitute ingredients. 


I was almost as mad as I was from the Honey Incident.


Cheats:
It’s hard to cheat yourself when you make your own recipe, but I still did.  I could have gotten “fresh” ingredients but was too pissed off to look for more vegetables.  If they were out of them, I may have thrown my basket.
I substituted dry crushed rosemary when I should have used fresh.
I also used one of those cheesy plastic lime squeeze things instead of a real lime. No-shame cheat.


Verdict(s):
Marinade Tuna Steak: Success
Lime Tuna Steak: Success
Dry Rub Tuna Steak: Success
Roasted Garlic Rosemary Potatoes: Success


All three variations are neighbor worthy meals to share.

Side note: I am pa-psyched (that's a notch above "psyched") about the dry rub I threw together.  I will be using that on meats, chicken and whatever else I can!



Want to be on the mailing list or have a recipes to share? Contact me at themaniccheater@gmail.com.