Waikiki 'ahi (Tuna Steak) Sandwich

This awesome, tender tuna steak sandwich will have your friends in raptures!
Simple and quick to grill, it is a winner everytime!

The Hawaiian's call their tuna: 'ahi.

This sandwich has been inspired by my visit to the Diamond Head Market & Grill in Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii, in August 2007.
After climbing the 232 metre volcanic crater I had worked up quite an appetite, which I sated at this roadside eatery on the walk back to my hotel. Yummy!
Every time I grill this at home, it takes me back to paradise!

This sandwich is very simple to create, and has always attracted rave reviews when served to family and friends.

Created by Steve: SBDESIGNS

Step 1 Ingredients

Preparation Time: 10mins (Have everything ready prior to grilling)
Cooking Time: 5mins

Ingredients (Per Person):

100g TUNA Steak (see Note [1])
Olive/Canola/Cooking OIL (Spray cans are good)
Hamburger BUN, halved
Handful shredded LETTUCE
1/8 ONION, sliced, halved
1 teaspoon SOY SAUCE (SHOYU)
2 heaped teaspoon MAYONNAISE
WASABI to taste (see Note [2])

Note [1]: Buy top quality Tuna steak if possible (sashimi quality is the best). It often comes in
2.5cm / 1" thick 200g steaks, so butterfly and then separate completely into individual
100g 1.25cm / 1/2" steaks.

Note [2]: I buy wasabi (hot Japanese Horseradish sauce) in prepared tubes that I keep in the
refrigerator. Only a 1-2cm (3/8 - 3/4") squirt is sufficient per person.

Comments

[TheOnlyTj]

Delicious lil sandwich. I added avacado :)

[iLikeCoolStuf]

Hey you could fix the links

[sbdesigns]

Happy to, just which "links" do u mean?

[chotii]

What do you do if you don't have ready access to a BBQ? Can you broil or pan-fry quickly/high heat? I tried cooking tuna once and ruined it, overcooked it. It's expensive enough I wouldn't want to make that mistake on this.

[sbdesigns]

Pan fried quickly over high heat would work well, although the char grill marks and the BBQ aromas will be missing. As with the BBQ, watch the sides of the tuna for the sear/cooked area creeping further towards the center of the fish flesh, as the photos show. Leave slightly pink inside (medium rare) as the heat in the fish will continue to cook it to medium as you are building/eating the sandwich.

[nachosyumm]

Try using Aloha Shoyu Soy Sauce for true hawaii-ness!

[fred531]

This looks delicious; I would try adding grilled cucumber instead of onion, because I'm not much of an onion fan. I think using a mixed green/lettuce mix would go well with the look and flavor of your sandwich. Where did you buy the ahi?

[sbdesigns]

All I had was iceberg lettuce, and it was a speed contest. Mixed lettuce would be great.

[sbdesigns]

Melbourne, Australia!

[Phoghat]

Just a suggestion. Kikkoman Soy Sauce is OK but a really great soy sauce is Tamari. Kikkomen also makes a Tamari. It's a little better than their regular but Tamari Brand is best. I'm from NY City and one magazine did a taste test in our China town as to the best soy sauce and the Tamari was a hands down winner. You can also make your own teriyaki marinade that's much better than anything in a bottle. All it takes is: Good soy sauce Cane or brown sugar (cane sugar is available is Asian markets) Chopped scallions (white and green parts) Crushed garlic Grated ginger (optional) All ingredients are to taste. I'm sure there are as many recipes for this as there are Asian grandmothers.

[fred531]

This, from Allrecipes, is the best I've ever tasted. I use brown sugar for its slight nuttiness. If you want to thicken it, use a touch of cornstarch, but it doesn't need it. In fact, I think I'm using it for dinner tonight.

[hitokiri_808]

I would say the ginger is almost a requirement for teriyaki in Hawaii. Almost everything here is seasoned with salt, ginger, and/or shoyu.

[xenobiologista]

Just made this, very good. Thanks for the recipe. My seafood-phobic boyfriend actually said he'd be willing to eat it agin.

[raven7]

Looks yummy. I hope it not too string with the wasabi.

[technick29]

Looks great!

[lebowski]

I've been to the market, but I don't eat fish. Don't ask me why, it's just not for me. I would favor the teriyaki, chicken or beef, with rice. Yum. I was born i Hawaii and my brother now lives pretty close to the Diamond Head Market.

[westfw]

Looks yummy. I like to serve similarly cooked tuna steaks with a sort of "pico de gallo" made from cucumber, tomato, and avaccado. They'd probably be good on a sandwich, too.