By May 2023. Spring in Memphis, and I am 64, watching the azaleas and dogwoods bloom along my neighborhood walk, the annual resurrection that makes the winter worth surviving. The smoker wakes up in spring the way the whole city wakes up — slowly, with a stretch, then fully, with purpose.
Charlie in Nashville, thriving in the way Charlie thrives — quietly, competently, with the determination of a Johnson woman and the grace of something uniquely hers.
Smoked turkey wings this week — big, meaty, brined and rubbed and smoked at 275 for three hours until the skin crackled and the meat pulled clean. Turkey wings are the working class of BBQ: cheap, underrated, and transformed by smoke into something extraordinary. Uncle Clyde served them on Fridays at his stand, and I serve them on Saturdays in my backyard, and the tradition bridges the gap between then and now.
Sunday at Mt. Zion, the choir sang and I sat in my pew and let the music hold me. The bass notes I used to add are quieter now — my voice is aging, the way everything ages — but the listening is its own participation, and the church holds me the way the church has held this community for a hundred years: faithfully, unconditionally, with room for everyone who shows up. I show up. That is enough.
The smoker does the heavy lifting on Saturdays, but some evenings the fire wants something lighter and faster — something that honors the heat without demanding three hours of patience. After a Sunday like that one, sitting in my pew at Mt. Zion and letting the music hold me, I came home with an appetite that was quiet but real. These garlic herbed grilled tuna steaks have become my answer to those evenings: high heat, good herbs, a little lemon, and a piece of fish that rewards you in under ten minutes. Uncle Clyde taught me that great cooking doesn’t always mean long cooking — it means knowing what the ingredient needs and giving it exactly that.
Garlic Herbed Grilled Tuna Steaks
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 8 min | Total Time: 33 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 tuna steaks (6 oz each, about 1 inch thick)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Mix the marinade. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, parsley, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
- Marinate the tuna. Lay the tuna steaks in a single layer in a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the steaks and turn to coat both sides. Let marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes — no longer, or the lemon will begin to cook the fish.
- Preheat the grill. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to high, around 450°F. Brush the grates thoroughly with oil to prevent sticking.
- Grill the steaks. Place tuna steaks on the hot grill. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare (pink in the center), or up to 5 minutes per side if you prefer fully cooked. Do not move the steaks while they’re searing — let the grill do the work.
- Rest and serve. Transfer steaks to a clean plate and rest for 2 minutes. Serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges on the side.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 305 | Protein: 41g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 2g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 610mg