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Community => Butchering, Cooking, Recipes => Topic started by: quadrafire on September 03, 2014, 08:22:37 AM

Title: Tuna recipes
Post by: quadrafire on September 03, 2014, 08:22:37 AM: Filled the freezer this weekend and looking for ideas. I have a canner, smoker, grills, oven etc. Post up some of your favorites to get me pointed in the right direction.
I have weeded through some old threads and have some ideas, but lets put them in one place.
Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: lokidog on September 03, 2014, 10:00:59 AM: Roll a loin in cracked pepper and sea salt, sear in a dry cast iron pan on high heat until center is done to your taste. You might split the loin lengthways if you like it less pink in the middle. I think that was it, very tasty.

I've also done tuna jerky but that was with yellowfin which is a lot less fatty. Albacore might be a bit soft. Soy sauce and beer marinade with whatever spices you like.
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: KNOPHISH on September 03, 2014, 10:18:22 AM: I made some smoked tuna dip last night. it's the yummiest. Check Ifish link below for some recipes. or maybe google tuna bomb. another 1 I like from there is a cilantro basil marinade to die for.

http://www.ifish.net/board/showthread.php?t=377113 (http://www.ifish.net/board/showthread.php?t=377113)
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: WSU on September 03, 2014, 10:48:14 AM: Tuna bomb is awesome. The big key is don't over cook it. It should be just seared and raw in the middle. Sushi is good too. Canned albacore is great.

I seem to go on a tuna bender for a month after filling the freezer from a tuna trip!
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: wafisherman on September 03, 2014, 11:07:36 AM: I had some great tuna that was marinated in Italian dressing and cooked on the grill. Simple and VERY good.

Pan seared as mentioned above is always good. Fish taco recipes are good to look intro.

Flake up any leftovers and add to a thick creamy white sauce and serve over your favorite pasta.
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: quadrafire on September 03, 2014, 05:12:26 PM: Checked out that tuna bomb recipe. Looks pretty danged good.
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: Tight Spin on September 03, 2014, 05:53:26 PM: Deep fry it just like you do for fish & chips. Its excellent
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: The scout on September 03, 2014, 06:07:34 PM: cover the bottom of a pan with olive oil, add just as much soy sauce, about 10 drops of sesame oil get it hot and right before you drop the fish add fresh garlic (otherwise it will burn) you can visually see the fish cook just maybe a minute a side depending on how you like it. I usually slice the loin in about 3/4 inch pieces to do this. this is my favorite way to have it.
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: Rick on September 03, 2014, 08:08:57 PM: Smoked tuna sandwiches might be the best sandwich on earth
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: quadrafire on September 03, 2014, 09:48:22 PM: Quote from: Rick on September 03, 2014, 08:08:57 PM
Smoked tuna sandwiches might be the best sandwich on earth
give me your smoked tuna recipe
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on September 04, 2014, 03:12:12 PM: I have some fresh tuna and the bomb seems to be the treat ...Dang that looks good :tup:
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: quadrafire on September 04, 2014, 06:10:11 PM: All of the "foodies" must be out hunting, not alot of recipe input. I do thank those that have responded.
Gonna start thawing some tonight and get the smoker and pressure cooker fired up this weekend. The "bomb" will be on the menu this weekend as well. :tup:
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: quadrafire on September 07, 2014, 02:32:38 PM: Well here is a bit of my fruit. Have done 40 half pints. 1/2 plain with a dash of salt. The other half brined the same as the smoked rinsed well before canning. The brine was 1/2 brown sugar 1/2 kosher salt with a heavy pinch of garlic powder. Dry ingredients coating all pieces for 20 min then rinsed. For canning they went right into the jars packed tight. 15 lbs for 110 min. The rest went to the smoker at 160 for about 2.5 hrs. Alder being the flavor of the day.
The plain canned was not much different than good canned albacore from the store. But nice I know where it came from and how it was handled the smoked/canned I haven't tried yet. The smoked chunks are good but I think could have "brined" for a bit longer. Perhaps an hour or two?? I try to remember to report back on the smoked/canned when I try them
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: quadrafire on September 07, 2014, 02:33:57 PM: Oops upside down. Hope they don't leak. Not sure how to fix it from my phone. You get the idea!!
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: ipkus on September 17, 2014, 02:48:58 PM: Ok, I'll admit I'm a bit of a foodie and due to my full blown addiction to tuna fishing I've spent lots of time figuring out the ways my family really enjoys eating it. Here's some of them;

Canning-

Absolutely blows away anything you can buy in the store. All done in wide mouth 1/2 pints, the perfect size to grab, crack the lid, and eat for a filling snack. Need more? Open more. 11 lbs. at 110 minutes. Higher pressure = higher temperature. Higher pressure or more than the 110 minutes means you are cooking it more and canned food is no different than baked/grilled/fried etc. DON'T OVERCOOK IT! I do 90% of our canned tuna 3 ways;

1.) Garlic - Buy elephant garlic so that the cloves are all large and place one in each jar.
2.) Jalapeno - Two thick cross cuts (3/8") per jar. Leave all pith and seeds in the slices for just a touch of heat.
3.) Smoked - Cold smoke whole loins for 30-45 minutes (I just use a Traeger). Tuna takes smoke really quickly so don't overdue this or it will be bitter after you can it.

Some other things to play around with are sweet chili sauce, red pepper flakes, course ground black pepper, ginger and soy, different peppers (habanero!), lemon pepper, dill and onion, and various spice mixtures. There are literally tons of ways to do it that taste great, but it takes some experimenting to figure out the right amount of whatever you choose to put in is.

All jars get a small chunk of belly meat and 1/4 t. salt. Leave 1/2" of room at the top of the jars. Also, it is critically important that you wipe down the rims of the jars very well after you load the tuna loin in them as the tuna is so oily it will create seal problems if it's not clean. I due it with a wet paper towel and press/wipe firmly. I use the 23 qt. Presto canner and can stack 32 wide mouth half pints in each batch. I add enough water to come halfway up the bottom layer of jars and add 1/2 cup of distilled vinegar. If any of the jars burp juice the vinegar makes them clean up much easier when done.

They're good to go as soon as they cool down, but if you let them age a year or two you really notice the added flavor penetrates the whole chunk of tuna. It's impossible to wait that long unless you put up a large supply!

Cooking-

Tuna is best cooked no more than medium rare. Not a fan of raw/undercooked fish? This is where you start expanding your horizons a little, or you are truly missing out. All our tuna gets cooked over very high heat, very briefly. Some have already been mentioned;

Tuna Bomb recipe is money. So is the cilantro/basil marinade. Use your favorite beer batter recipe with tuna for fish and chips, I prefer it to halibut.

The way we do it most often, because it is quick and easy is similar to The Scout's;

Mix 1 T. sesame oil, 2 T. olive oil, 3 T. soy sauce, and a dash of chili oil. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1 thinly diced green onion. Cut 2 loins cross wise approx. 1 3/4" wide. Place the fish and the marinade in a gallon ziplock for 45 minutes. On either a propane grill or pan on the stove, sear the tuna pieces for 60-90 seconds per side.

More later...
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: quadrafire on September 17, 2014, 05:12:36 PM: Nice ipkus. Thanks for the info.
I cracked a jar of the smoked/canned this morning to make a tuna salad sandwich for lunch. Great stuff, it wasn't oversmoked for my taste.
I will keep playing around with recipes. Haven't tried the Bomb yet.
Have been eating some sashimi, some spicy tuna rolls and some grilled with the marinade below

1/4 cup veg oil
4 cloves minced garlic
2 TBL soy sauce
1/4 tsp dry mustard
3 TBL fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
combine ingredients-whisk
put in bowl or ziplock with either tuna steaks (I used a loin instead of steaks)
marinate no longer than 45 min.
Depending on how thick your steaks are or if it is a loin will dictate you cooking time. Grill or sear hot until medium rare.
I over did some and it still tasted great but was just a bit dry/flaky, still not bad and the wife liked it better that way.
The Belly was great with that marinade. That is probably my favorite part of the fish grilled so far. Grilled skin side down
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: quadrafire on September 27, 2014, 08:07:29 PM: Well I was on the fence about trying this, but couldn't resist due to my southern midwest taste buds (fried anything)

Sliced a loin cross wise about 3/4 in, egg wash, dredged w/ 1/2 flour 1/2 corneal and some s&p. Fried at 350 for about 4 min
Meat was moist, a bit firm but very tasty, not what I was expecting (thinking canned tuna flavor) but was more like catfish. Overall pretty decent and I would do it again.
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: rb2506 on September 27, 2014, 08:39:28 PM: A guy I work with shared tuna balls the other day

Cut loin in chunks wrap bacon

I think he said 350 for 15 minutes in the oven then finish off on the bbq with bbq sauce
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: Stein on September 27, 2014, 08:46:54 PM: Slice it up and dip it in wasabi soy sauce.
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: quadrafire on September 27, 2014, 08:48:11 PM: Quote from: Stein on September 27, 2014, 08:46:54 PM
Slice it up and dip it in wasabi soy sauce.
Have done quite a bit of that
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: suga on September 27, 2014, 08:48:57 PM: Quote from: WSU on September 03, 2014, 10:48:14 AM
Tuna bomb is awesome. The big key is don't over cook it. It should be just seared and raw in the middle. Sushi is good too. Canned albacore is great.
X2
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: 2labs on October 11, 2014, 05:21:44 PM: Tuna is the bomb! My recipe... Cut loins into 2inch steaks, roll in olive oil, Johnny's and pepper, roll in sesame seeds. Get grill as hot as possible,coat a clean grill with oil.(onion soaked in oil on a fork) cook 2 min. Each side max. Super easy too over cook tuna! With wasabe damn good. Also you can go 50-50 with soy and olive oil or sesame oil.
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: kisfish on October 11, 2014, 06:09:46 PM: tag
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: Skillet on October 11, 2014, 06:36:49 PM: I canned a large amount last year. My favorite recipe is a few twists of fresh ground black pepper and a 1/2 tsp of kosher salt in the bottom of a half point jar, add tuna to within half inch of the top, then another couple of twists of fresh ground black pepper on top. 12# for 100 minutes. Not overly spiced so you can use it for anything (salad, sandwich, dip, etc), but good enough to pop the lid and just fork it into your pie hole, bachelor-style.
Just picked up some smoked tuna bellies from my neighbor tonight, they are better than good. :tup:
Title: Re: Tuna recipes
Post by: kisfish on October 15, 2014, 08:32:47 AM: I cooked up the tuna bomb recipe last night. Let me tell ya this one is a winner. Oh so good. I have grilled it many times and love it but the bomb is something you need to try if you haven't. :drool: