One Condiment Gives You Perfectly Tender Tuna Steaks

Tuna salad isn't the only preparation of the popular fish that can benefit from a bit of mayonnaise. Just like the divisive condiment binds together your canned seafood, also introducing some creaminess to the mix, so, too can it keep tuna in its steak form a little moister than it would be on its own.

This is similar in concept to coating chicken with mayo to keep it juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside after a panko pat. The fatty, dense spread helps to lock in the protein's natural moisture, practically sealing it in, while a more standard marinade would just run off. Tuna also seems to cook about as fast as you can light a match, so the layer of protection a mayo encasement provides is a tad more forgiving in terms of temperature and cook time than something like salt and pepper alone. But you still need to season it.

To be clear, we aren't mayo coating the top shelf, sushi grade, eye-poppingly priced tuna reserved for special occasions and a light touch. This mayo technique is more appropriate for the everyday grocery store tuna that's possibly been color treated and might come vacuum packed. It's for cuts like the leaner, typically less expensive yellowfin that's more likely to dry out to toughness. It's not for a rich piece of beautiful marbled bluefin, which needs no such adornment.

It's those more affordable selections that need the extra love. So you should still imbue your weeknight tuna with some flavor, before or within the mayo drape. You can still use your favorite tuna marinade (but never for too long!) before applying the mayonnaise, and it should taste very close to what you're used to after the tuna melts off. (The most sensitive mayo haters may detect its presence.) You can also create a kind of compound with ingredients like lemon and zest or soy sauce and wasabi, but it will obviously turn out a bit more subtle than a deeper marinade. And you should still be cautious about the most critical ingredient: heat. The FDA says 145 degrees Fahrenheit is tuna's safe zone. But tuna's ideal culinary temperature is closer to 130.