Achieve beautiful tuna steaks with this down-and-dirty loin removal system.
Charlie Levine
Tuna are no doubt the most welcomed game fish in the cooler. Fresh tuna loins are the epitome of good eating and lend themselves to many different preparations. Sushi, sashimi, seared tuna steak... they're all delicious. Here's a quick way to remove the loins, but don't toss the tuna collar or belly meat. They're delicious as well. Photos by Charlie Levine
Garrett Penley, mate on the Tradition broke down this tuna using a sharp 9-inch Bubba Blade. Begin with an incision right behind the tuna's pectoral fin, running diagonally up towards the head.
You'll then want to separate the tuna loin from the belly by slicing along the fish's lateral line toward the tail, running all the way down to the bone. The knife should scrape along the upper ribs and you should feel the tip of the Bubba Blade hit the spine.
The next incision will run from the tail of the fish along the top or back of the fish to its head. Do not try to slice all the way through to intersect with your first cut. This is a starter cut, so you're looking for precision placement. You will go back and make a few more cuts to slice the loin away from the ribs and spine.
Slowly work the knife as close to the bones as you can to harvest as much meat as possible. A sharp knife is a big help.
Make a pass or two along the other side of the loin, working toward the top of the fish to remove the loin. Repeat these steps on the opposite side of the fish.
Once you've removed the loin, clean off any rib bones and dark meat that you don't want.
Remove the skin from the bottom of the loin and break it down into steaks or thin slices, depending on your preference. Then, find some chop sticks, pull out the soy sauce, pop open a few cold beverages and call a couple of friends.
