Grilled Tuna Steak Sandwiches with White Bean Spread

I made fresh grilled tuna steaks and then used them as part of a sandwich for a recent cooking class.  A few folks in my class had never had fresh tuna before - and if you haven't you need to try it now! It's a taste revelation.  While this recipe will work with chicken, pork or even tofu, give the tuna a try.  Wild Caught, Frozen Steaks are perfectly fine and less expensive than tuna steaks bought at the fish counter. Most fish is frozen anyway - whether frozen at 32 degrees and lower, or deep frozen, it's all been on ice and gets pretty frosty.

This is a perfect meal for summer - make a few steaks - eat some for dinner now and then have the left overs as sandwiches along with the white bean spread (recipe posted prior to this one) on good grilled or toasted hearty bread.  I found a nice whole wheat blend miche bread at Wegmans - it grilled beautifully and added a subtle tangy bite to the entire sandwich.

Grilled Tuna with White Bean Spread Sandwich Ingredients:

• 2 - 1-inch thick Tuna Steaks (about 6 ounces each)
• Zest and Juice of 2 Lemons
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Rosemary Leaves - removed from woody stem and minced
• 3 Garlic Cloves - minced
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Pinches of Salt and 4-6 Grinds of Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1. Preheat your grill or grill pan - so that it is very hot - hot enough so that when you hold your hand over the rack or grill pan for 10 seconds or less you can feel the heat.
2. Whisk together the lemon zest, juice, rosemary, minced garlic and olive oil.  Place the tuna steaks into a shallow pan or baking dish and pour the marinade over the fish to marinate - 15 to 30 minutes maximum. Season with a pinch of salt on each side a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Cover the fish but keep out at room temperature.
3. Grill the fish on the preheated grill, brushing the tuna with some of the lemon/rosemary marinade. To get perfect cross-hatch markings on the fish, set the fish at the “10 o’Clock” angle on the grill. After 3 minutes, turn the fish to the “2 o’Clock” angle and cook another 2 minutes. Turn the fish over using a flexible spatula and tongs and cook on the other side for 2-3 minutes more.
4. Check for doneness by peeking between the layers of the fish with a thin-bladed knife when the knife meets little resistance and there’s just a touch of translucency the fish is done. Tuna steaks are best served when cooked medium rare.
5. The tuna steaks can be served hot, warm or cold as sandwiches on good, thick bread.  Make the sandwiches - cut the tuna into Chevrons slices, (the layers of the tuna will cut naturally, follow along the lines of the tuna to get perfect slices) spread a layer of the white bean spread onto the bread, add a roasted red pepper, and if desired, a fresh leaf of lettuce along with the grilled tuna slices.  Cut the sandwich in half or into 4 “club-style” pieces. 2 Steaks can serve up to 4- people when made into sandwiches.

This recipe for grilling fish works well with any firm, white moderately fatty fish (not as oily as salmon or as flakey/dry as flounder or tilapia). You can also substitute firm tofu, chicken or pork loin. The denser the protein is, the longer it can marinate. Fish - marinate up to 30 minutes; chicken, up to 4 hours; pork, up to 6 hours. Tofu - up to overnight.