Tuna Tartar Don(丼)

And Tuna Rice Sandwich

 

The Maguro (鮪/tuna) I bought was a bit unsightly, un-uniform in color…well I was watching my budget, less expensive than sashimi grade tuna for sure... Still grateful to get fresh maguro block. I decided to make tuna tartar…actually, mincing the meat with seasonings on the cutting board is called tataki (たたき)or namero (なめろ) in Japan. Check out similar recipe on my past blog here

Simple and flavor packed tuna tataki topped on the cooked rice is so awesome! Some of my friends can’t stand raw fish…why?  It’s so good!…But I totally get their sentiment… just like I have strong dislike of beef tartar… totally!

Ingredients and Instruction for 4 servings (Print Recipe Here)

• 200g of fresh tuna cut in chunk
• 1 inch ginger, new ginger prefer or 1 myoga cut in small pieces
• 1 stalk of green onion minced
• 1 –2 Tablespoons miso paste  If you like heat then use Korean spicy miso paste (1/2 teaspoon) instead.
• 2 3  teaspoons sake  Note: I boiled to remove alcohol and cooled.
• 2-3 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari soy sauce
• pinch of salt (optional)
• Shiso leaves

1. Put Tuna, ginger or myoga, miso paste, sake, soy sauce and salt if using on the cutting board and using *two knives to pound to *finely chopped until the meat starts getting little slimy and well blended. You might want to do a taste test at this point and add more seasoning to suit your taste. It is not necessary but I like to put in container, cover with plastic wrap and chill in a refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour. *Texture wise, micro mincing is not recommended. *Heck, you don’t need two knives but it’s cool that way!I should have used a bigger cutting board…
2. Assembly – Put warm rice in the bowl, topped with tuna tartar and sliced shiso leaves. Serve with soy sauce and wasabi on the side (optional).

For Tuna Rice Sandwich –There are trendy rice balls happening in Japan. Ordinary rice ball is called ‘onigiri’ (おにぎり) but the new style ‘onigirazu’ (おにぎらず) is show off the filling better and is easier to eat.

Equipment: square container – I used 4 inch x 4 inch

• Warm cooked rice
• Shiso leaves
• Tuna tartar (see recipe above)
• Nori(seaweed) sheet 7-1/2 x 8-1/2 inch

1. Put about 1/3 cup rice firmly in a square container, make sure to level off.
2. Lay couple of shiso leaves on top of rice.
3. Spread about 1/4 cup tuna tartar evenly on top of shiso leaves.
4. Lay shiso leaves on top of tuna tartar
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5. Put  about 1/3 cup rice firmly on shiso leaves, smooth the top.
6. Lay nori sheet on flat surface and dump the step #5 on top of nori diagonally
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7. Fold corner to wrap the  ‘onigiranai’, wet with a little water to secure the corner if necessary. Wrap tightly in plastic and leave for few minutes.
8. Cut in half. Voila! Neat, right? Variation: Make different filling such as tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet).For food safety, keep in a cool place and consume within an hour.

Last week’s Today’s Tapas #todaystapas - Momofuku Pork belly, quick cucumber pickle – My fav…I never get tired of this dish

Mango Lassi recipe from ‘ Thirsty for…’ YouTube video jump over from Linda’s Peaceful Place.blog. Check her feel good blog.

Have a wonderful rest of the week!