Union Square Cafe Tuna Burgers Food

UNION SQUARE CAFE'S MARINATED FILET MIGNON OF TUNA

Steps:

• Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl large enough to hold the tuna. Place the tuna steaks in the marinade and refrigerate for 3 hours, turning every hour.
• Drain the tuna thirty minutes before cooking and bring to room temperature.
• Preheat a grill, grill pan or outdoor barbecue to very hot.
• Brush the tuna with olive oil. Grill the steaks for 1 to 2 minutes on each of their six sides. The outside of the tuna should be nicely charred, and the center should be barely warm and quite rare. Cooked this way, the tuna will remain moist and flavorful.
• Top each steak with pickled ginger and serve.

YELLOWFIN TUNA BURGERS WITH GINGER-MUSTARD GLAZE

Steps:

• Make the glaze: Combine all the glaze ingredients in a 1-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the glaze coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Strain through a sieve and reserve in a warm place until tuna burgers are cooked. (The glaze can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.)
• Make the burgers: Grind the tuna in a meat grinder or chop with a large sharp knife to the texture of hamburger meat. (Do not use a food processor, which will shred the tuna rather than chop it.)
• Transfer the ground tuna to a bowl and combine with the garlic, mustard, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Divide the tuna into 4 equal portions. Using your hands, roll each part into a smooth ball and then flatten into a compact patty.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the tuna burgers until browned and medium rare, 3 to 4 minutes a side. Serve each burger on a buttered toasted bun and spread with a tablespoon of warm glaze. Garnish the burgers with equal amounts of pickled ginger slices.

YELLOWFIN TUNA BURGERS WITH GINGER-MUSTARD GLAZE

Steps:

• Combine all the ginger-mustard glaze ingredients in a 1-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the glaze coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Strain through a sieve and reserve in a warm place until tuna burgers are cooked. Can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Grind the tuna in a meat grinder or chop with a large sharp knife, to the texture of hamburger meat. Do not use a food processor, which will shred the tuna rather than chop it. Transfer the ground tuna to a bowl and combine with the garlic, mustard, cayenne, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Divide the tuna into 4 equal portions. Using your hands, roll each part into a smooth ball and then flatten into a compact patty. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the tuna burgers until browned and medium rare, 3 to 4 minutes a side. Serve each burger on a buttered toasted bun and spread with a tablespoon of warm glaze. Garnish the burgers with equal amounts of pickled ginger slices.

UNION SQUARE CAFE'S MARINATED FILET MIGNON OF TUNA

Steps:

• Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and place the tuna steaks in it. Refrigerate for 3 hours, turning the tuna every hour.
• About half an hour before cooking, remove the tuna from the marinade to a plate, and let it reach room temperature. Preheat a grill, barbecue or pan to very hot.
• Brush the tuna steaks with olive oil. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. The outside should be well seared, and the center should be just warm and very rare.
• Garnish each tuna steak with pickled ginger, and serve.

UNION SQUARE CAFE'S TUNA CLUB SANDWICH

Steps:

• Make aioli: Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, garlic and salt in a food processor.
• With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream through the feed tube until all the oil is absorbed and the mixture has the consistency of mayonnaise.
• Add pepper and mix 10 seconds.
• Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
• Combine 4 cups water, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf and peppercorns in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Lower to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
• Add the tuna pieces and simmer until they are barely cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the cooked tuna from the cooking liquid to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
• While the fish is still warm, flake it into small pieces with a fork or your fingers.
• (The fish firms up as it cools and will not flake as nicely.) Cover loosely and let cool.
• Crush the fennel seeds between two sheets of waxed paper; dry fry in a small skillet until fragrant.
• Place in large bowl; add 1/2 cup aioli, the red and yellow peppers, onion, herbs and salt and set aside.
• Mix the flaked tuna into the fennel mixture.
• Combine well and taste for seasonings, adding salt, pepper and lemon juice as needed.
• (The tuna salad can be made ahead to this point without the herbs and refrigerated until the next day; stir in the herbs just before using.) Spread a slice of sourdough bread with the aioli, then with a spoonful of the tuna salad.
• Top with a few leaves of the arugula and one slice of bacon.
• Repeat with a second slice of sourdough.
• Stack one layer on top of another and finish by topping with a third slice of sourdough.
• Repeat to make three more club sandwiches.
• Slice each sandwich into halves or thirds and secure each piece with a toothpick.