Getting tuna for cooking in tataki style

[doronin]

Tonight I decided to play with some tuna to make tataki-like dish... Well, I got some sushi grade tuna, it was looking gorgeous at store.

Now when I brought it home, I discovered that the piece... kind of falls apart - I didn't really squeezed it, just to be able to hold it. It smelled very fresh. Taste was somewhat bland.

Due to inability to hold the shape well I couldn't slice it as thinly as expected.

What could be wrong with tuna - is it wrong cut, or just bad quality, or anything else I should be looking before i buy?

Thanks!!

[Abbey]

Hi there,

it sounds to me that your tuna had been FROZEN before being thawed and sold to you.

I buy sashimi quality tuna every week or two at our local fish market and I have never had an experience like this. I put it straight in an icepack to bring it home so that the tuna doesn't have any opportunity to degrate on the way. The moment it gets home it gets taken out of the paper and put on a plate with paper towels on top ready to be sliced later that evening. I always try to eat my tuna the same day that I buy it and I wash it well and pat it down with paper towels before cutting.

It pays to go to the best fishmonger that you know of as you need really exquisite quality tuna for sashimi.

Hope this helps and better luck next time!

[Pielle]

I was with the impression that, in most parts of the world, Tuna came in frozen in fish stores.

Is this impression wrong?

[paul o' vendange]

I was with the impression that, in most parts of the world, Tuna came in frozen in fish stores.

Is this impression wrong?

←

You're impression is right, at least in my experience. Many sushi sources come in blocks that have been frozen and thawed extremely carefully. Tuna loin in this way is quite common.

The best sources process at sea, under nitrogen or other inert gas, at an incredibly high freezing rate. When I wasn't cannibalizing my pristine, fresh loin used for service, I enjoyed a good deal of ahi and yellowtail loin processed this way, and it serves as beautiful tataki.

Edited December 4, 2006 by paul o' vendange (log)

[doronin]

So, the conclusion is that most likely my tuna was frozen/thawed in some incorrect way, right?

Should it mean I'd better change my fishmonger, or he might find a better stored piece if I ask nicely?