The tickle factor in this dish comes from the wasabi—Japanese horseradish. You can find it in the Asian section of your supermarket. And since we’re cookin’ in an Asian mode, we like the tuna served nice and rare, almost like sushi.

　　

Ingredients

feeds 4

　　

The Sauce

4 teaspoons wasabi powder

　　4 teaspoons plus 1/4 cup water

　　2 tablespoons peanut oil

　　2 huge cloves garlic, chopped

　　1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

　　Pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper

　　1 1/4 cups Mutha Sauce (page 165)

　　1/4 cup soy sauce

　　1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

　　1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

　　3/4 cup sliced scallions, green part only

　　

The Fish

4 tuna steaks, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick (about 1 1/2 pounds total)

　　2 tablespoons olive oil

　　1 teaspoon five-spice powder

　　Kosher salt and black pepper

　　

Step 1

Make the sauce first. Dump the wasabi powder into a cup. Drizzle in 4 teaspoons of water, and mix to a paste. Set aside.

　　

Step 2

Set a small saucepan on the stove. Add the peanut oil and heat over medium-high. Toss in the garlic and ginger and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook briefly, til barely soft. Swirl in the Mutha Sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, and wasabi paste. Add the scallions and give everything a stir.

　　

Step 3

Scrape the sauce into a food processor and give it a spin for 5 seconds, or til smooth. Scrape back into the saucepan and add the remaining 1/4 cup water. Mix and keep warm.

　　

Step 4

Rub the tuna steaks with olive oil. Sprinkle one side of the tuna steaks with half of the five-spice powder, some salt, and lots of pepper. Flip them and season the other side the same way.

　　

Step 5

Build a hot coal bed in your grill. Clean and oil the rack. Put the steaks on and cook for 2 minutes, til colored 3/8 inch up from the bottom. Flip and cook the same amount on the other side, leaving a nice rare streak through the center. The internal temperature will be around 100°.

　　

Step 6

Serve immediately with a generous spoonful of sauce over each steak.

　　Dinosaur Bar-B-QueTen Speed Press