Fire up the Kamado Joe Classic III Ceramic Charcoal Grill and get ready for an unforgettable recipe! The high-heat sear is perfect for creating Chef Eric Gephart's delicious Blackened Bourbon-aki Tuna.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Testing the griddle with a drag test: Dragging the tuna across the hot surface before laying it down fully tells you whether the griddle is properly heated and oiled — if the fish sticks, you know to wait or add more oil before it has a chance to tear.
- Searing for just 45 seconds per side: Such a short, high-heat sear builds a blackened crust on the outside while leaving the tuna's interior rare, which is the whole point of a seared-not-cooked-through tuna steak.
- Oiling the top of the fillet before flipping: Adding a bit of fresh oil right before the flip gives the second side the same searing contact as the first, instead of cooking on residual oil that's already been absorbed or burned off.
- Slicing across the grain after resting on a cutting board: Cutting perpendicular to the muscle fibers gives cleaner, more tender slices, and letting the tuna rest briefly off the heat keeps the interior from continuing to cook past rare.
Blackened Bourbon-aki Tuna
Eric Gephart
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
1
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
1.5 minutes
Calories
485
Chef Eric Gephart fires up the Kamado Joe Classic III Ceramic Charcoal Grill and puts a high-heat sear on his Blackened Bourbon-aki Tuna!
Delicious does not have to be difficult. Searing the perfect tuna steak is a prime example. Think of raising the heat after a low and slow entrée cook to get that great sear experience to feed your friends and family a great appetizer or nosh.
Directions
- Stabilize your Kamado Joe Classic III Ceramic Charcoal Grill at 550ºF with the Kamado Joe Cast Iron Half Moon Griddle installed.
- Season the tuna steak on both sides with the Cattleman’s Grill Blackening Seasoning.
Place the extra virgin olive oil on the griddle.
- Carefully drag the fish across the surface to see if it sticks. If it does not, gently lay the fish on the surface, lowering it away from you so you do not splash yourself with excess oil.
- Sear the fish for 45 seconds then flip. Place a bit of oil on the top of the fillet and flip. Cook for another 45 seconds. Transfer to a cutting board.
Slice the seared tuna across the grain, place over cooked rice or chosen side and drizzle with Kim’s Gourmet Bourbon-aki Sauce.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why drag the tuna across the griddle before laying it down?
Dragging it first tests whether the surface is properly heated and oiled. If the fish sticks, you know to wait longer or add more oil before committing it to the griddle, where sticking could tear the delicate flesh.
Why sear the tuna for only 45 seconds per side?
Such a short, high-heat sear builds a blackened crust on the outside while leaving the interior rare — that's the entire point of a seared tuna steak rather than a fully cooked one.
Why add more oil to the top of the fillet before flipping it?
Fresh oil on the second side gives it the same searing contact as the first side had, instead of cooking on oil that's already been absorbed into the fish or burned off the griddle.
Why slice the tuna across the grain instead of with it?
Cutting perpendicular to the muscle fibers shortens them in each slice, giving a more tender bite than slices cut along the grain's length.
What internal temperature should the tuna actually reach?
This recipe doesn't call out a target temperature, since the technique is a fast sear meant to leave the interior rare. Tuna served rare or seared like this is standard practice — there's no minimum cook temperature the way there is for ground meat or poultry, as long as the fish is fresh, sushi-grade, or otherwise intended for rare consumption.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
4 out of 5 — a very hot cast iron skillet on the stovetop can replicate this sear just as well as the kamado's griddle attachment; the total cook time is only about 90 seconds either way.
Recipe Highlights
Drag test: Confirms the griddle is hot and oiled before committing the fish.
45-second sear per side: Builds a blackened crust while keeping the center rare.
Fresh oil before flipping: Gives the second side the same sear as the first.
Cross-grain slicing: Produces more tender bites than slicing with the grain.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 6.98 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 485
- Carbs
- 11 grams
- Protein
- 51 grams
- Fat
- 25 grams
- Sodium
- 505 milligrams
