Buying and lighting calculator · Fish and seafood

How much bluefin tuna do I buy and when do I light?

Bluefin tuna is bought as a loin, the long, clean piece from which blocks and thick steaks are cut. It is served seared outside and rare inside, so it loses almost no water over the fire. The loss is mostly trim: sinew, skin and the dark part of the loin. That is why we start from about 200 g raw per person to reach about 170 g on the plate; if you cooked it all the way through, like any fish, the USDA counts that every pound leaves only 0.66 to 0.70 pounds. The time is minutes, not hours: with the kamado at around 260 °C and the grate direct, one or two minutes per side for a 3-4 cm loin. Longer turns it into a dry tin of tuna.

How to ask for it

For 4 people: Ask for 800 g of bluefin tuna loin in a rectangular piece 3-4 cm thick, sinew-free, and confirm that it is suitable to eat rare.

Seared and rare, tuna loses little: about 200 g raw gives about 170 g on the plate after trimming. red, warm centre with a grey rim a few millimetres thick; no probe needed.

How we calculate it

We start from a reasonable cooked portion (about 200 g of meat on the plate, 170 g of cleaned fish) and convert it to raw weight using each cut's bone and trim loss. "Hungry" adds 25 %. We round up to what is actually sold: quarter kilos, whole pieces, units.

To the cook time (per kilo or per piece, at each method's temperature) we add the kamado's lighting and stabilising (20-45 min depending on the method, as on the recipe pages), the rest, and a margin for long cooks, which vary from one piece to the next. Times are approximate: your kamado, the wind and the charcoal decide; on big cuts, trust the probe.

Frequently asked questions

How much tuna per person?

About 200 g of loin per person, which leaves about 170 g on the plate once sinew, skin and the dark part are removed. Since it is served seared and rare, there is almost no cooking loss. If you serve it in cubes as a starter, 150 g per person is plenty.

How long do you sear tuna on the kamado?

With the kamado at 260 °C and a direct grate, 1 to 2 minutes per side; a 3-4 cm loin takes about 4 minutes in all. Heat the grate well first and oil the tuna, not the grate, so it does not stick. Take it off when it has only a grey rim a few millimetres thick.

Can you eat tuna rare?

Yes, if it is good quality and suitable to eat rare: ask at the fishmonger, because fish eaten raw or nearly raw must have been frozen beforehand for safety. Seared, the centre stays red and warm. If you prefer it cooked through, go past 4 minutes; but it dries out fast.

Other Fish and seafood cuts

← All cuts

Approximate figures. Sources and the portion rule are in "How we calculate it".