Grilled Asian Tuna Burger With Ginger, Sesame Oil & Wasabi Mayonnaise
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Tuna like you’ve never had it before as a burger and with all of the tasty but not spicy Asian flavors. Don’t make the burgers too thin because you do want these to be a little pink in the middle. Use sesame buns or sesame bread and be sure to toast them, it does make a difference and don’t forget the greens, all part of the taste experience.
You’ll Need:
1 ¾ to 2 lbs. Ahi tuna – cut into cubes (Costco is a great source for the tuna)
3 garlic cloves – crushed
2 scallions – chopped
1 ½ Tlbs chopped fresh ginger
½ Tlbs Dijon mustard
2 Tlbs fresh cilantro
2 tsps coarse black pepper
1 ½ Tlbs Asian sesame oil
4 slices of large tomato
4 sesame bun – split
¼ cup olive oil
Green salad leaves
Salt
Soy Wasabi Mayonnaise:
1¼ cups mayonnaise (Hellman’s is preferred)
¼ teaspoon wasabi paste or more to taste
½ lime – juiced
1 tablespoon soy sauce (Kikkoman is top rated)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper
Here’s What To Do:
Place garlic, scallions, ginger, Dijon mustard, cilantro, coarse black pepper and sesame oil in a food processor and pulse once or twice to cut and blend. Add the tuna and pulse a few times until the fish is chopped and evenly blended with the other ingredients, LESS IS MORE do not over process; it should look like lumpy hamburger. You can chop together by hand on a cutting board. Remove mixture to a bowl and chill for one hour, to allow the flavors to blend. Wisk the ingredients for the mayonnaise together and check for taste, add more wasabi paste if necessary. Heat a grill to high, direct heat. Divide the mix into four, evenly-sized burgers, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and. Place the tuna burgers on an oiled grill and cook for two minutes on each side until it has a bit of a crust on the outside, but is still rare to medium-rare inside. Take care not to overcook the tuna. Hold the cooked patties on a plate under foil.
Toast the buns. Spread some Wasabi mayonnaise on the bottom of the bun, then some salad leaves, one or two tomato slices followed by the tuna burger. Top each burger with wasabi mayonnaise, close the bun and serve.
What Goes With What Wines Selections
Hogue Genesis ’05 Riesling – Prosser, WA. (Riesling)
If you think you want a bit of sweetness to go against the Asian spices then I’d suggest this lovely wine. Nicely balanced with acidity and moderate sweetness, the wine is intense but rich and crisp on the palette with aromas of orange, grapefruit, peach and pineapple. $16
http://www.hougecellars.com
Silver Ridge ’06 Pinot Noir, CA (Pinot_Noir)
This wine is just good enough to be considered for my picks but at the price and with the decent fruit and PN flavors you can’t go wrong. The low tannins and red fruit get by with the grilled burger. $9.49