Tuna Steaks with Peanut Chile Salsa

The peanut chile sauce of Sunday night needed an appropriate home... a vehicle for consumption that would be hearty yet still let the spicy, nutty "salsa" stand out. I chose wild-caught tuna steaks, conveniently purchased frozen, two to a pack from Trader Joe's. After allowing them to thaw overnight in the fridge, I was ready to get cooking.

After rinsing each steak and patting them dry, I ground fresh black pepper onto each side (press in gently to make it stick). I then transferred them into my lightly oiled grill pan, which had been pre-heating on medium for a few minutes. Once the steaks are down, do not move them for 4-6 minutes. This allows the grill marks to form. Using tongs, gently turn the steaks over after four minutes for a lightly pink center and six for well-done.

In my case, I had some leftover escarole sauteed in olive oil and lemon, as well as some diced potatoes and spanish rice. I added these to heat up on my grill pan while my steaks were cooking. Meanwhile, I re-heated my peanut chile salsa in the microwave in a small bowl. Once I plated everything, I poured a small amount of the sauce over each tuna steak, then brought the rest to the table for extra helpings (the more sauce, the better!). This combination of tuna and sauce, with the rice to help soak it up, was perfection on a plate.