SESAME CRUSTED AHI TUNA STEAKS

To make the tuna marinade, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and honey in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Place the tuna steaks or loins in a large zip lock bag and pour in the marinade.  Refrigerate for 1-3 hours.  Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to cook the tuna.

When you are ready to cook the tuna, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium high heat until almost smoking.

Place the sesame in a pie plate or shallow baking dish.  Remove the tuna from the marinade and let the excess drip off(reserve any extra marinade).  Firmly press the tuna into the sesame seeds to coat on all sides.  Note – if you are using the loin, there will be 4 distinct sides, but if you are using thinner tuna steaks, you only need to coat the top and bottom of the steaks.

Place the coated fish into the very hot pan.  Sear for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.  Timing will depend on the thickness of your tuna. You only want to cook the outside of the tuna, creating a crust and leaving the center raw.

Heat the excess marinade in a small saucepan until boiling. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Serve the tuna drizzled with the sauce.  I like to serve this tuna either whole or sliced with fried rice or sticky rice.