Tuna tataki

 

 

This method of cooking food originates in Japanese cuisine and is perfect for some types of fish and can also be used for meat, especially red meat.

Making tataki involves searing an ingredient over very high heat, so that it cooks and browns on the outside, but leaves the inside almost raw. When cut into small pieces, you can see the different textures of the more and less cooked parts, resulting in a delicious dish. 

 Tataki is not the name of a dish, but rather a culinary technique typical of Japanese cuisine. It consists of cooking a piece of meat or fish on a griddle or in a very hot pan, allowing it to brown on the outside but leaving the interior almost raw and very juicy.

This technique is attributed to samurai in the 17th century who saw Europeans cooking food on a grill at very high temperatures, evolving the recipe for cooking with fish. Although tataki is primarily associated with fish, especially tuna and salmon, it can also be used to prepare beef dishes.

How to make a good tataki

There are three keys to preparing a good tataki: the first is the temperature of the grill, which must be very high to ensure the meat or fish cooks very quickly. The result will be juicy and delicious pieces of meat or fish, grilled on the outside and practically raw on the inside. 

The second key is the quality of the ingredient, which must be very fresh, since we'll be cooking it very little. In the case of fish, due to the risk of anisakis, it's recommended to freeze it for 48 hours and then thaw it slowly in the refrigerator so that it's practically as fresh as if it were, but without the risk. For meat, we'll look for tender cuts that won't be tough when undercooked, preferably loin or sirloin.

The third key is pre-marinating, which achieves greater internal juiciness and the penetration of flavors that will be absorbed by the meat or fish, achieving much more intense flavors after searing on the grill. This is essential for fish tataki, but it also works very well for meat tatakis.

Finally, let the tataki rest a bit before serving it sliced, mainly in rectangular pieces that are not too thick, about one to one and a half centimeters thick. For this reason, it's a good idea to cut the product you want to prepare into tataki into a rectangular prism-shaped ingot measuring approximately 4x4x10 centimeters, which will make it easier to brown and cut.

The marinade for the tataki

There's no single marinade for making tataki, but the most common marinade is generally made with soy sauce or ponzu sauce. To this sauce, we can add ginger, garlic, lime or lemon juice (even orange), and some aromatic herbs like oregano, thyme, or rosemary.

You can also add mirin, sake or rice vinegar, sesame oil, or any other ingredient you like, depending on the main ingredient and the desired final flavor. 

Summary of steps for making a good tataki

The first step is to cut the meat or fish into rectangular pieces so they cook evenly. Next, marinate the ingredients for an hour in your chosen sauce, such as soy sauce with grated ginger, garlic, and lemon juice, stirring to coat all sides. 

Preheat the grill until very hot, and when it's very hot, sear the main ingredient for about 15 to 30 seconds on each side, ensuring the outside is well-seared, while the center remains rare and very juicy.

When serving, you can sprinkle the sesame seeds over the browned piece and then slice it, serving it on a platter with a bowl of more sauce and a salad, such as wakame seaweed.