By Jacob Mathias

Hello, fellow eaters. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with good food and family. If you’re like me, you cooked way too much and have plenty of leftovers. You’re also most likely sick of those leftovers after six days of turkey sandwiches and green pumpkin pie.

It’s time to cook something new and a little lighter to offset some of the excess of our Thanksgiving and upcoming Christmas meals.

The wonderful thing about large supermarkets and international commerce is the availability of previously ungettable meats in Central Wisconsin. Our tuna no longer has to come from a can although it’s still the best way to make a classic tuna salad sandwich. A tuna steak is now common fare on many local restaurant menus but it’s just as easy to make in the home at half the cost.

We’re going to do a simple preparation with a classic marinade of soy, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar. A side of vegetables or a salad will round out the meal and keep it light.

You will need:

2 Ahi Tuna Steaks (found at the meat counter)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup light sesame oil
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 clove minced garlic
1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

In small bowl, combine the oils, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper and garlic. Whisk to combine your marinade. Pour into a one gallon zip lock bag. Add the tuna to the marinade, press out the air and seal. Place in the fridge and allow to set for two to four hours, turning halfway through.

Heat a non-stick grill pan over medium high heat. Remove the steaks from the marinade and allow to train well. Place gently on your grill pan and allow to cook for three minutes. Using a fish spatula, rotate the steaks 90 degrees. This will encourage even cooking and give you pretty grill marks. Cook for another three minutes.

Flip the steaks and repeat.

Serve the steaks alongside some sauteed vegetables or salad and sprinkle with the sesame seeds for a nutty, crunchy finish.

And remember, Live to Eat.