Smoked Albacore Loin Recipes

SMOKED TUNA RECIPE

Steps:

• Brine is crucial to add moisture to the tuna.
• Mix all of the ingredients listed above into the water.
• Stir vigorously to blend all those flavors together.
• Bring the tuna brine back down to room temperature, and pour the mixture into a bowl or shallow pan.
• Add the tuna, making sure it is submerged. (Make and add more brine if necessary.)
• If you use a bowl rather than a pan, you can divide the tuna along with brine into zipper-style plastic bags for the next step.
• ​Leave the pan uncovered and put it into your refrigerator.
• Or take your plastic bags of marinating tuna and put them in your refrigerator.
• Allow at least three hours for the tuna to marinate well.
• Some people leave it in the refrigerator for six hours, or even overnight.
• The original recipe I used called for six hours, but I found that a lot of the tuna flavor was lost with that length of time.
• Three hours seemed to be just about perfect.
• While the original recipe said to rinse the tuna before patting it dry, it just didn't make sense to me to rinse off all of the good stuff I'd put in the brine.
• So I patted the fish dry using paper towel, leaving on as much of the good flavorings as I could.
• Once you've pat-dried the tuna, air dry it for one to two hours on a cold grill rack or similar stand.
• You can speed up the drying process by putting the tuna in front of a fan, but make sure the meat doesn't get too dried out.
• Depending on your own environmental conditions even an hour of air-drying may be too much.
• The goal is to let a good pellicle develop and stop there, so keep a close eye on that tuna.
• The pellicle is the coating or skin on the surface of the tuna (or other meat) that allows smoke to adhere.
• It's useful in smoking any kind of meat, but is especially important for smoking fish.
• The pellicle protects the meat from being over-smoked, but enhances the flavor and color from smoking.
• Once you are satisfied that the pellicle is well formed but the tuna still somewhat moist, dredge the tuna in some more brown sugar.
• It means to coat a moist food (such as marinated tuna) with a dry ingredient (such as brown sugar) prior to cooking.
• In other words, simply roll the tuna through some brown sugar, making sure to coat each piece evenly.
• Another recipe calls for fresh lemon juice, garlic powder, ground black peppers or other spices add subtle flavors, but really - it's all up to you!
• Place the dredged pieces on racks, or directly on your grill.
• The type of wood chips you're going to use depends on the type of smoke flavor you want to get.
• Fruit wood like cherry wood usually isn't used for smoked fish, so you might wan to explore other options.
• Smoke the meat at 175 degrees for 60 to 120 minutes.
• If your thermometer tends to reflect a higher temperature than has usually really been achieved, move the temperature up to 190 degrees.
• Larger cuts require more time.
• Experiment with your own cuts and the time necessary to perfect each piece.
• Check your temperature regularly to make sure you are staying in range.
• You'll notice a change in color to the tuna.
• To be extra certain that your tuna is well-cooked, use a meat thermometer and look for a temperature at the midpoint of the meat of about 140 degrees.
• Once you reach that, you can pull the tuna out of the smoker.
• If you see a flakiness to your tuna, you've done a perfect job!

GRILLED OR PAN-COOKED ALBACORE WITH SOY/MIRIN MARINADE

Steps:

• Combine the soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, ginger and sugar in a bowl and whisk together well. Whisk in the sesame oil.
• Place the albacore steaks in a large bowl or baking dish and toss with the marinade. Cover the bowl, or transfer the fish and marinade to a large zip-top bag and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or longer.
• Prepare a hot grill, or heat a heavy cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the fish from the marinade. Cook the steaks for 2 to 4 minutes on each side, depending on how well done you like the fish to be. Serve hot.

SMOKED ALBACORE TUNA RECIPE | TRAEGER GRILLS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the salt, brown sugar, and orange and lemon zest.
• In a large container, pack the brine onto the fish, making sure, if the fillets are stacked, that there is enough brine between each so the flesh of the fish itself is not touching. Transfer to the refrigerator to brine for 6 hours.
• Remove the fillets from the brine and and rinse thoroughly under cool water. Pat dry and place on a greased wire rack set over a baking sheet.
• Return the fillets on the rack to the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes.
• When ready to cook, set the Traeger temperature to 180˚F and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes. For optimal flavor, use Super Smoke if available.
• Remove the fillets from the refrigerator and place directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and cook for 3 hours.
• Increase the grill temperature to 225˚F and continue cooking until the fish has developed a light brown color and flakes easily when nudged with a fork, about 1 hour more.
• Remove the fish from the grill and enjoy immediately, or allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Enjoy!

BACON-WRAPPED ALBACORE "FILET MIGNONS" WITH PEPPERCORN CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Step 1: Make the Peppercorn Cream Sauce: In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the shallots and sauté until soft. Add the black pepper and Cognac. If desired, carefully flambé the warm Cognac with a long match. Otherwise, continue with the sauce. Add the white wine and bring to a boil; reduce by half. Stir in the cream and mustard and let the sauce simmer until it coats the back of a spoon. Add salt to taste. Stir in the chopped fresh tarragon and squeeze in a few drops of fresh lime juice. Keep warm until ready to serve. ShareTweetPin180 Shares Step 2: Working on a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish, season the tuna loins well on all sides with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. ShareTweetPin180 Shares Step 3: For each loin, cut 4 lengths of butcher's string, each about 12 inches long, and lay them parallel to each other (about 1-1/2 to 2 inches apart) on a clean work surface. Place a strip of bacon in the center, perpendicular to the strings. Lay a tuna loin on the bacon. Lay 2 more strips of bacon on top of the tuna (3 if it's a large loin), bring the strings snugly over the loin, and tie so that the bacon is held firmly in place. Repeat with the other loin. ShareTweetPin180 Shares Step 4: Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium-high (400 degrees). If using a plancha or griddle, preheat it at the same time. Brush and oil the grill grate and/or plancha. ShareTweetPin180 Shares Step 5: Arrange the tuna loins on the plancha or grill grate and grill until the bacon and tuna are seared, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn with tongs to sear the remaining sides. The interior of the tuna should retain its rosy color; do not overcook. Transfer the tuna loins to a cutting board. Reheat the Peppercorn Cream Sauce, if necessary. Remove the strings from the tuna, then slice the loins into 1-inch-thick medallions and arrange on a platter. Spoon the sauce around the bottom of the medallions, garnish with fresh tarragon sprigs, and serve. ShareTweetPin180 Shares

SMOKED ALBACORE LOIN

Steps:

• Rinse loins and pat dry. Cut loins into 6 to 8-ounce pieces. Sprinkle a liberal amount of kosher salt on all surfaces of the albacore. Coat fish with light brown sugar and work kosher salt and sugar in all crevices. Smoke the albacore at 170 degrees F for 2 1/2 to 3 hours using a combination apple and oak wood chips.

SMOKED PACIFIC ALBACORE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Arrange tomatoes, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the minced garlic and parsley on top. Drizzle with olive oil, place in the oven and roast until somewhat dry, but still pliable, about 5 hours.
• Light a small amount of wood in your outdoor grill and allow it to burn thoroughly, about 30 minutes. When the wood is down to the smoky embers, transfer it to the smoker or a roasting pan that you don't mind scorching. Place the roasting pan containing the burning wood in the oven along with the fish and allow it to smoke for about 5 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to oversmoke and thus overpower the albacore flavor. (Chef's Note: The amount of time the fish should be smoked will vary depending on the size of your oven. Mitchell recommends experimenting to your taste.)
• Mix the herbes de Provence and coarse salt together. Coat the exterior of the albacore with the mixture. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sear the fish on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes total, keeping the center rare.
• To serve, place a mound of white bean puree just off-center on each plate. Cut the albacore into slices and fan out around the white bean puree. Add the roasted tomatoes and drizzle pesto all around the plate. Serve with sauteed greens, asparagus, or haricots verts, if desired.
• Soak the dried white beans in 2 quarts of water overnight.
• Drain the beans, put in a pot with the onion, garlic and water to cover by several inches. Simmer until beans are tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain. While still warm, put in a food processor and puree with butter, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve.
• In a food processor, pulse the garlic, lemon juice, and herbs until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the herbs are minced but the mixture is still slightly chunky. Add the cheese and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

SMOKED ALBACORE LOIN

Steps:

• Rinse loins and pat dry. Cut loins into 6 to 8-ounce pieces. Sprinkle a liberal amount of kosher salt on all surfaces of the albacore. Coat fish with light brown sugar and work kosher salt and sugar in all crevices. Smoke the albacore at 170 degrees F for 2 1/2 to 3 hours using a combination apple and oak wood chips.