Sesame Seared Tuna Steaks with Korean dipping sauce

• servings: 2 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb Ahi, Yellowfin, Bigeye, Saku, Bluefish Tuna Steaks (1/2 lb per person is a generous portion; use less for a smaller portion)

salt and pepper

sesame seeds

1 large avocado (or 2 small), sliced (1/2 large avocado per person)

1 1/2 cups cooked rice (about 3/4 cup per person)

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp rice vinegar (white distilled vinegar or apple vinegar also work well)

3 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp sugar (can be subbed with maple syrup)

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp sesame seeds (white or black or both)

1 Tbsp Gochukaru (Korean dried chili flakes)

1 garlic clove, minced

2 green onions, minced

Directions

Korean Dipping Sauce (Yangnyeom Jang):

Make Dipping Sauce. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dipping sauce (Yangnyeom Jang). Mix until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Sesame Seared Tuna Steaks:

Prep Tuna Steaks. Generously salt and pepper both sides of the tuna steak. Add a thick layer of sesame seeds to each side, coating well so there's no red tuna visible on the top or bottom. Gently pat the sesame seeds so they stick.

Heat skillet. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. When the pan slightly smokes, add 1-2 tsp of oil (neutral oil like grapeseed or avocado oil) and swirl around in the pan.

Cook tuna steaks. Add the tuna steaks to the hot pan, being careful of oil splatter. Do not disturb! Cook until the bottom is golden and crusty, about 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until golden and crusty, another 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to overcook! Depening on the thickness and size of the tuna steak, adjust the time -- adding more or less time, from as little as 45 seconds up to 2 full minutes per side Look for a red line in the middle that signifies it's rare in the middle.

Slice. Transfer to a cutting board. Slice thinly, against the grain, for tuna that's not too chewy or sinewy.

Assemble. Add rice to two bowls. Add sliced tuna. Add avocado slices. Drizzle Korean dipping sauce on top of the tuna. Serve with more dipping sauce on the side.

Nutrition

• Calories: 784 kcal
• Total Fat: 36 g
• Saturated Fat: 6 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 26 g
• Cholesterol: 86 mg
• Sodium: 1674 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 54 g
• Dietary Fiber: 10 g
• Total Sugars: 8 g
• Protein: 63 g