Brandon Testi, Executive Chef, TPC Craig Ranch
Brandon Testi, Executive Chef of TPC Craig Ranch, says the idea for his Tuna Tomahawk dish came from growing up in southern California, where tuna is a dominant center-of-the-plate protein.
“Tuna has always been a favorite of mine and is very versatile both in raw and cooked applications,” says Testi. “Utilizing premium sushi-grade tuna is key when serving a raw dish.”
Plus, he says, the membership at TPC have really gravitated toward Pacific coastal cuisine.
“This dish came together after a quick brainstorm with the team and a quick mise en place session,” he notes. “The R&D was a one-time plate-up, as the vision was clear prior to our initial cook.”
The bold flavor of the forbidden rice created a nice base for the softer components of the dish, Testi says.
“Spiralizing the yams gave us not only a cool element to the dish,” he adds, “but also allowed us to cook the gingered sweet potato a la minute for the pickup, which is key for optimum flavor and savoring nutrients.”
Finally, to top off the dish, Testi says the yum yum sauce—made with Kewpie mayo, Sriracha, tomato powder, fish sauce, yuzu juice, and rice wine vinegar—was a natural choice, as the dish needed an element of fattiness and a sauce that would pair well with the lean tuna steak. And the togarashi peanuts provides both a necessary crunch and a bit of Japanese BBQ spice.
“This dish not only became our most-requested special,” Testi says, “but it has now done exceptionally well on our summer menu, too.”
