Seared Tuna

Name: Seared Tuna
Yield: makes 8 tacos
Ingredients: 1 cup red chile powder (page 151); 1/4 cup chipotle chile powder (page 151); 1/4 cup fine sea salt; 1/4 cup cumin seed, toasted and ground (page 164); 2 tablespoons coriander seed, toasted and ground (page 164); 2 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano, toasted and ground (page 161); 2 tablespoons black pepper; 1 1/4 pounds sashimi-grade tuna, cut into 2 1/2 by 1 1/2 by 4-inch pieces; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 3/4 large English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons (about 1 cup); 1 tablespoon lemon-infused olive oil (page 162); 1/4 teaspoon sugar; 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 8 (5 1/2-inch) crispy yellow corn tortilla shells (page 17), for serving; Garnish: Iceberg Lettuce Garnish (page 144) or sliced radishes

January 26, 2012

The tuna for this recipe must be sashimi grade as only the edges will be thoroughly cooked. Sashimi-grade tuna is difficult to find unless you patronize a premium fishmonger or even better, a Japanese fish market, which typically carries it. (If you don’t have either in your area, ask at your local sushi bar if they would sell you sashimi tuna. I’ve bought fish that way.) To be sashimi grade, the tuna not only must be amazingly fresh, but it must be cut from the bottom of the loin, where there is no connective tissue. It should be free of any visible lines (no semicircles within the flesh) or blood, with even color. Its limited supply has made it very costly. The tuna for this filling is quickly seared, a technique known as tataki in Japanese cooking. With each mouthful, you enjoy the delicious contrast between the spicy-smoky seared crust of seasonings and the cool raw center of the tuna. Cucumbers add a nice crunch, as does a garnish of colorful sliced radishes.

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