INGREDIENTS
- 1½ lbs (680 g) fresh tuna steaks
- 1 cup fresh, not dried bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup finely minced green onions
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp minced, fresh cilantro
- 2 tsp grated, fresh gingerroot
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp dark sesame oil
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp freshly, ground black pepper
- for brushing grill pan or bbq rack oil
- 6 (½ inch thick) slices, fresh pineapple
- 1 large red onion sliced into thick rings
- grainy, seedy buns (optional)
- fresh lettuce (optional)
METHOD
Cut the tuna into 1-inch chunks and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off 4 or 5 times until tuna is coarsely ground. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add bread crumbs, egg, onions, hoisin sauce, cilantro, gingerroot, garlic, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Mix gently using your hands. Form tuna mixture into 6 patties, about ½ inch thick. Wet your hands to prevent sticking, if necessary. Place patties on a parchment-lined pan and stick it in the freezer while you grill the pineapple.
Lightly oil a grill pan and place over medium-high heat. Grill pineapple and onion rings until onions have softened and both sides have nice grill marks. (Alternatively, use your outdoor gas barbecue, which I prefer for any type of grilling.) Cover and keep warm.
Re-oil the grill pan and cook burgers over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side, or until cooked to desired degree of doneness. Don’t overcook tuna burgers or they’ll be dry.
Serve hot patties topped with grilled pineapple and onion rings and any other condiments that suit your fancy.
Per burger: 231 calories, 5.5 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 28 g protein, 16.8 g carbohydrate (2.4 g fibre, 9 g sugars), 84 mg cholesterol, 348 mg sodium
Cooking tip
For this recipe, it’s important that your bread crumbs are freshly made and that you don’t use the standard, store-bought dried crumbs. Making fresh bread crumbs takes 30 seconds! Just place one or two slices of healthy, grainy bread in your food processor and pulse on and off until fluffy crumbs are formed.
YUM: Try these burgers with fresh salmon instead of tuna.
YUMMER: Serve bunless with a side of crunchy Asian slaw.