Instructions

1. THE MARINADE

Whisk ½ cup of olive oil in a small bowl and while beating it, add the boiling water, a little at a time. Continue whipping for a few minutes, then add the lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, garlic, parsley, salt and fresh milled black pepper. Check the seasoning and adjust accordingly. Cover and refrigerate. It can be made 1 day ahead.

2. THE PREPARATION

Rinse the tuna steaks with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place it in a glass or non aluminum pan and pour over ½ of the marinade; reserve the other half: it will be used to garnish and infuse extra taste to the cooked tuna. Turn the tuna a few times to thoroughly coat it. After ½ hour, take the fish out of the marinade, pat dry with a paper towel and transfer into a dish containing the remaining oil; season with salt and black pepper to taste and turn the tuna a few times to thoroughly coat it. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook it. Reserve the marinade to be used for basting when cooking the tuna. It can be done a few hours ahead. Take the tuna in the oil, out from the refrigerator half an hour before cooking, along with the marinade used to infuse the tuna, and the reserved marinade to be used for garnish.

3. THE GRILLING

Preheat the grill: cooking has to be done fast and at a high heat. It is necessary to get the grill as hot as possible so the tuna won’t be dry on the inside. If using a charcoal burning grill, a heavy layer of ashy white coal is needed, if using a gas or electric grill, set it as high as it will go. Use a pastry brush to oil the grill’s grate. Turn the tuna onto the oil a few times to coat it thoroughly. Place the slices into the grill and cook for 3 minutes; flip with a spatula and grill the other side for 3 minutes. Use the pastry brush for continuously basting the tuna with the leftover marinade used to infuse it. Flip it again and grill for an additional 2 minutes on each side. Discard any leftover marinade used for blasting. It is optional that as you are flipping the tuna the second time, to rotate each slice at a 45 degrees angle to get diamond marks from the grill’s grate; do it to enhance its presentation. Transfer the tuna steaks to a serving platter; garnish with lemon wedges and spoon over some of the reserved marinade. Serve with the remaining marinade on the side; add an assorted salad and hot bread. Good wines to pair with the grilled tuna are the Sicilian Etna Rosso by Grace, or a California Zinfandel or a young Pinot Noir.

4. NOTE:
Grill the tuna for a total 5 minutes for each side for medium, add 1 or 2 minutes for each side for well done or cook it to your preferred doneness. It is advisable to cook the tuna steak for 5 minutes on each side for every inch of thickness.