For Well-Done Aficionados, Tuna Steak Should Be On Your Radar
We traditionally think of lobster and filet mignon as two peas in a surf and turf pod. However, tuna has quite a bit more in common with steak than the choice crustacean. Beef and tuna share a range of safe, acceptable, and beloved doneness levels — from raw tartare to a seared crust and blood-red center to completely cooked through. If you tend to lean toward the well-done side of the meat spectrum, it's worth exploring tuna steak.
There are a couple of reasons fans of well-done steak should consider tuna. For starters, it cooks considerably faster than steak and other cuts of meat, making for a quick stove-to-table meal. The time it takes to get to a cooked-through center of tuna steak is just fractions of the time it takes to eliminate the pink in a cut of beef. Let's face it. A well-done steak doesn't exactly melt in your mouth, but tuna will retain a bit of tenderness. Your fork can still cut through a well-done tuna steak. Also, much less jaw power is needed. Still, well-done will be on the drier side, so it will benefit from a quick marinade or sauce to counterbalance any moisture loss.
How to cook tuna steak to well-done
Fish fillets are notoriously finicky to cook, but tuna steak is an exception. It's fairly easy to get right and almost impossible to mess up if your goal is well-done. Tuna steak can be baked in the oven, seared, grilled, poached, or air fried.
To sear tuna steak, brush the outside with oil, and then place in a skillet over medium-high heat. The amount of time to reach well-done will depend on the thickness of the steak, but it will take about 3-4 minutes per side to cook all the way through. To grill tuna steak, sear each side for 1 to 2 minutes over direct heat. Then, move the steak to indirect heat to continue cooking until it's well done.
Baking tuna steak well done will take about 15 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Air frying tuna steaks will take roughly 6 to 7 minutes at 380 degrees Fahrenheit, flipping halfway through, to reach well-done. Poaching tuna steak in olive oil is an excellent way to add back moisture if you want it well done. Add about half an inch of oil to a saucepan. Warm it over medium-low heat and add the steak. Simmer the tuna for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Timing for all the above cooking methods will depend on the thickness and if the bone is in, but there is no harm in slicing in to check on the center and cooking it for a bit longer until it reaches your desired level of doneness.