What we commonly call Tataki (or tosa-mi) is the cooking technique originating from Kochi Prefecture in Japan, probably developed by Sakamoto Ryōma, a rebellious 19th-century samurai, and is still used for preparing both fish and meat dishes.
In Japanese, たたき means: “pounded” or “hit into pieces”. Outside of Kochi Prefecture, it refers to finely chopped raw meat or fish dishes.
In Kochi, tataki is generally made with tuna, or rather Katsuo (Katsuobushi tataki) coated with sesame or gomashio, or seasoned with ginger.
The secret of tataki lies in the heat of the plate. When it’s scorching hot, it allows for very quick cooking times.
It should be served cold.
For this reason, some chefs dip the freshly seared fillets in a bowl of cold water and ice for a few seconds.
I have prepared both tuna and salmon.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Expensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Griddle
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 tuna fillet
- 1 salmon fillet
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce (or ponzu)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 yuzu (or lemon)
- to taste gomashio (or minced ginger)
Steps
The traditional method for making tataki requires that the fish cut, ideally thicker than 1.5 inches, is:
marinated with soy sauce, sugar, and yuzu or lemon juice.
Then seared on a scorching hot cast iron plate, 10/20 seconds per side, then breaded with gomashio and finally cut into regular slices 0.4 inches wide.
Served cold.
Tuna and Salmon
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What kind of fish is katsuo?
The Japanese word Katsuo (カツオ) refers to a carnivorous fish belonging to the Scombridae family, known in Italian as “striped bonito” and often identified as “bonito” or simply “little tuna”.
How is a meat tataki prepared?
In America, the technique is called “meaty” and involves placing a flat element like a marble cutting board or a ceramic plate in the freezer for at least an hour, applying a thin layer of seed oil on the meat and the seasoning. The griddle is heated for at least 10 minutes, then the meat is placed on it and turned 45° onto the opposite side when, with the help of tongs, it can be effortlessly lifted.
Once seared on all sides, the meat is placed on the cooled plane in the fridge or on a plate with ice, turning it several times on itself.
The best cuts to use are those of regular shape such as the NY Strip or the Denver Steak or the filet mignon.Tataki of meat is often confused with roast beef, what’s the difference?
The roast beef is red inside because it is cooked for a long time at low temperature in the oven or seared in a pan, and unlike tataki, the heat actually penetrates inside
Why is tataki also called Tosa-mi?
Because at one time, the city of Kochi, the capital of the prefecture of the same name,
belonged to the Tosa County in Tosa Province.
