Alton brown suggested using a chiney starter to sear tuna, but I wondered if it might work just as well for any high heat application. It did.
The contraption above is the chimney starter, a grill grate, and a smoker top to grill three hamburgers. It took me 1–2 minutes per side for medium, and the sear was more intense and flavorful than anything I’ve gotten from a regular grill (even in 40 degree weather). Some mesquite wood chips on top of the charcoal added flavor.
I’ve also done this with filet mignon and grilled pears and will do it again any time I want very high heat for a small quantity of food. Obviously this wouldn’t work for indirect heat or having ten people over. Then again, based on the short cooking times, a decent quantity of food can be made in batches in not much time. Plus you don’t have to get out the grill.
One word of caution since looks like you have the chimney starter right on your driveway. We were at a friends house when they were using this method and the heat totally ruined their concrete driveway — it literally blew up right underneith the starter and left them with a big pothole. You might want to put it up on bricks next time.
But it does produce great flavor!
Katie,
Thanks for the advice. I’ve often started the chimney starter on the lower shelf of the charcoal grill when I’m using it the “normal” way, i.e. to load up the grill with hot charcoal. Considering what happened to your friends, I might use that method (and it gives the fire more air anyway) or might put it on bricks (we have plenty of extras from our old patio lying around). Those ideas reduce the convenience factor, but it would definitely be pretty inconvenient to repair a blown up driveway!
–Ben
We tried the same methods–and it worked well.
Note-if you have a good steak, I would suggest more because of the smoke flavor (like keawe)
For Alton’s ahi, you have to put a TON of sesame seeds on the fish cause most of it falls off.
In our opinion, you should just eat the tuna raw.
Party on–