Tuna Bloodline Yakitori
Photo by Kristin Teig.
This recipe utilizes the ‘bloodline’ of the tuna, the nutrient rich strip of darker meat closest to the spine of the fish that is commonly trimmed and discarded in the United States.
Chef’s Note: One of my biggest sources of inspiration when preparing parts of fish not typically consumed in the United States is looking to other cultures - and to the past. This dish may seem strange to the American palate, but it has been around in one form or another since humans started eating fish. If you can’t get bloodline, ask your fishmonger for meat closer to the bloodline, which has concentrated sinews. Boiling it softens the sinews.”
- Chef Davin Waite
Author’s Note: It may not be easy to find tuna with the bloodline attached. Tuna is a large fish and discarding its bloodline is a waste. When you purchase a portion of tuna, ask that bloodline be kept in. Bloodline is about 10 percent of loin weight, so to get the 12 ounces needed for this recipe, buy 10 pounds of fillet. Think that’s a lot of fish for one household? There are so many ways to use it - 12 ounces for the bloodline, 4 to 5 pounds for sushi, 3 to 4 pounds for poke, or whatever combination you prefer.
- Nick Sakagami, Author of Sushi Master
© 2019 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. // Text © 2019 Nick Sakagami
Ingredients
12 oz tuna bloodline
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup mirin
¼ sushi-zu*
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp ground white pepper, plus more to taste if desired
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated & peeled
2 tsp olive oil (optional)
* Sushi-zu is seasoned rice vinegar used to flavor rice, especially for sushi. To make 1 cup sushi-zu, combine 1/2 cup rice vinegar, a scant 1/2 cup sugar, and scant 2 tbsp salt.
How to Prepare
Cut the bloodline into strips measuring ½ inch by 3 inches, making sure to cut at a 90-degree angle against the grain. Place the strips in a bowl under a trickling stream of cold running water for 30 minutes, draining off the cloudy red water occasionally. Place the fish in a clean, dry strainer and shake off the excess water.
While the water runs on the bloodline, make the marinade: In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, mirin, sushi-zu*, brown sugar, white pepper, garlic and ginger, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Transfer the fish to a resealable bag and pour the marinade over the fish. Seal the bag and refrigerate overnight to marinate. Meanwhile, soak bamboo skewers in beer or water.
Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill (see tip below). Skewer the marinated bloodline and place the skewers on the hot grill. Cook for 3 to 4 min per side. Alternatively, you can pan fry them in olive oil over high heat for 3 to 4 min per side. Serve immediately.
Tip: For best results, use binchotan charcoal, a type of Japanese “white” charcoal that burns hotter than regular charcoal, with no flame or smoke.
This recipe was originally published Sushi Master: An expert guide to sourcing, making and enjoying sushi at home by Nick Sakagami (© 2019 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc).
Nick Sakagami was born in Tokyo and owns his own seafood importing and consulting businesses. A longtime resident of Los Angeles, he is the only person outside of Japan to be certified as an osakana meister, or fish master.
He can identify every fish species and hundreds of subspecies by taste, feel, sight and smell. And he has an expertise in tuna. Sakagami believes he has a responsibility to share what he knows with consumers of seafood and the seafood industry. He got his start working part time for a seafood wholesaler in Japan. His entire body would smell like fish. But that excited him and so he decided to explore that feeling around the world. He talks to wholesalers about sustainable fishing and good import practices and is influential with high end restaurants on their buying practices.