How to cook tuna steaks on the grill

The secrets to grilling tasty tuna steaks are a flavorful marinade, fresh, thick tuna steaks and a really hot fire.

The best marinade for tuna involves the vibrant punch of fresh herbs, a tart touch of citrus, a dash of salt and a hint of sweetness to contrast smoky notes from the grill. Our recipe for Herb Grilled Tuna Steaks relies on dill and oregano, fresh lemon juice, a splash of soy and a touch of not-too-sweet, not too dry Duplin Moonlight Bliss white wine.

Choose tuna steaks that are at least 1½ inches thick. Marinade them for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator and turn the steaks halfway through the marination time. The longer the steaks marinate, the more flavor they’ll absorb. Don’t be alarmed if the steaks lose their pink or red color while marinating.

When it’s time to grill, make a hot fire in a gas or charcoal grill. You should not be able to hold your hand over the grill grate for longer than 3 seconds.

Be sure to oil the grill grate before placing it over the fire. That’s easy to do. Just dab some cooking oil onto a cloth or paper towel and wipe it over the grate. Heat the grate on the grill before laying on the tuna steaks so that the steaks will take on grill marks that enhance the flavor and appearance of the cooked fish. Cook the fish to rare or medium-rare so that the tuna does not dry out. Remember that the tuna will continue to cook when it comes off the grill, so remove it a few minutes before it is done to your liking.

Once the tuna is cooked, slice it against the grain and fan the slices over vegetables or salad for a stunning presentation. You could also use the fish for a tuna rice bowl.

Grill tuna pairs especially well with Duplin Moonlight Bliss white wine. The fruity, semi-dry wine’s light sweet notes pick up the fish’s smoky flavor.