Can You Cook Tuna Steak Just Like You Would Any Old Steak?

Fresh tuna is like the red meat of the sea. That means if you have a quality version of it at home, you can think of it nearly the same way. One of the cardinal rules of cooking a prized tuna steak is not to overcook it, which is why it's best to serve it rare. We spoke to Nicole Brisson, who's the creator of dry-aged craft steak purveyor Bistecca di Brisson, as well as executive chef of Brezza Italian and Bar Zazu located at Resorts World Las Vegas, for her tuna steak cooking advice.

Brisson says that she cooks tuna similarly to beef steak, opting to season it simply with salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. Then she says she likes to "sear [it] quickly on both sides in a cast iron on a grill." 

As to serving, she says, "I like to slice and serve over a home made Nicoise salad." A Nicoise salad is a traditional French salad that involves ingredients like potatoes, green beans, anchovies, olives, tomatoes, and tuna, served on a bed of greens, with a vinaigrette.

Because tuna is so lean and delicate, it cooks faster than you might imagine. Brisson prefers to sear it in a pan or grill it, but she cautions, "by the time you get grill marks or it good sear it should be ready to pull." That means as soon as you see any char or sear marks, it's immediately time to flip the fish, and once both sides are colored, you need to remove the fish from the heat immediately.

While most meats tend to need to be checked by an instant read thermometer, Brisson prefers to go by touch as opposed to using any devices to check its temperature. If she's not putting it on a Nicoise salad, she says she likes to slice the tuna and drizzle it with a salsa verde or a vinaigrette. 

So yes, you can certainly think of cooking a tuna steak like beef, and the best method to handle it is to keep it simple by cooking it over high heat, ensuring it's served rare, and don't forget to pair it with a bright and acidic sauce for a pop of additional flavor. Ina Garten prefers her tuna with a lime-wasabi vinaigrette, if you need any extra cooking inspiration, by the way.