Mojama de Atún

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Digital kitchen scale accurate to 1g
• •Nonreactive glass or stainless-steel dish, about 20 by 15cm
• •Refrigerator thermometer
• •Wire cooling rack and rimmed tray
• •Two flat trays and a 1.5kg weight for pressing
• •Clean paper towels or lint-free cloth
• •Long sharp slicing knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Trim and weigh

   Keep the tuna between 0 and 4°C throughout the work. Trim away every strip of skin, sinew, silvery membrane, and dark bloodline, leaving one neat block 4 to 5cm thick. Pat it thoroughly dry and weigh it. For a 600g loin, the finished target is 390g, exactly 65 percent of its starting weight. Write that number down.

   Buy tuna that was commercially frozen and is specifically sold for raw preparation. Freezing controls parasites when performed under the proper commercial schedule, but neither freezing nor curing removes histamine formed after poor temperature handling.
2. 2

   Pack in salt

   Spread a 2cm bed of salt in a nonreactive dish just larger than the loin. Set the tuna on top and pack salt firmly against the ends, sides, and upper face, leaving no fish exposed and at least 2cm of salt around it. Cover the dish and refrigerate at 0 to 4°C for exactly 24 hours. After 12 hours, pour away any pooled liquid, turn the loin, and cover any exposed patch with reserved salt.

   The even salt covering matters more than piling it high. An exposed corner cures more slowly than the rest and leaves a wet weak point.
3. 3

   Rinse the cure

   Lift the loin from the salt and discard all the used salt. Rinse the fish under very cold running water for 30 seconds, rubbing away every grain, then soak it in 1 litre of ice-cold water for 20 minutes in the refrigerator. This removes the harsh surface salt without washing the cure from the centre. Drain and pat completely dry with clean paper towels.

4. 4

   Press the loin

   Wrap the tuna in two layers of clean absorbent paper or a lint-free cloth. Place it between two flat trays, set a 1.5kg weight evenly on top, and refrigerate for 8 hours. Change the wrapping after 4 hours if it becomes wet. Pressing removes loose moisture and gives the loin the close, even texture needed for thin slicing.

5. 5

   Dry by weight

   Unwrap the loin and place it on a clean wire rack over a lined tray, with air able to reach every face. Dry it uncovered in a clean refrigerator held between 0 and 4°C, away from uncovered food. Turn it once daily with clean tongs and replace the tray lining whenever it becomes damp. Begin weighing after 8 days, then weigh daily until it reaches 390g. This usually takes 8 to 12 days. The surface should be dry and mahogany-brown, while the whole piece feels firm with only slight give.

   Thirty-five percent weight loss is the finish, not a date on the calendar. Refrigerator airflow and loin thickness change the drying time, but the scale does not argue.
6. 6

   Rest the cure

   When the loin reaches its target weight, wrap it first in clean parchment and then loosely in a clean kitchen towel. Refrigerate for 24 hours. This short descanso, or rest, lets the remaining moisture settle evenly through the loin so the centre and edges slice alike.

7. 7

   Slice and dress

   Put the mojama in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm it without freezing it solid. With a long, very sharp knife, slice across the grain into pieces 1 to 2mm thick. Arrange about 30g per person, spoon over the olive oil, and scatter with the broken almonds. Add no salt. Mojama has already had quite enough.

Chef Tips

• •Bluefin and yellowfin are both proper choices for mojama. Bluefin gives a darker, richer, more buttery slice; yellowfin is leaner, milder, easier to find, and often less costly. Albacore dries paler and softer, so it makes a good cured fish but not quite the same mojama.
• •Choose a solid centre-cut loin with no ragged seams. Small loose pieces take salt too quickly and dry at different rates. Sourcing wins here: tired tuna makes tired mojama, however carefully you weigh it.
• •Use a refrigerator thermometer. Tuna must remain between 0 and 4°C from trimming through storage because salt, freezing, and drying cannot correct histamine produced during temperature abuse. Pregnant people, older adults, young children, and anyone immunocompromised should choose commercially produced mojama made under regulated controls.
• •A dry white bloom can be salt pushed to the surface and may be wiped away with a cloth lightly dampened in olive oil. Discard the loin if it develops a sticky surface, colored or fuzzy growth, or a sour odor. Don't taste a doubtful cure.
• •Keep the finished loin wrapped in parchment inside a loosely covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, changing the parchment if it becomes damp. Do not vacuum-pack it at home. For longer storage, wrap well and freeze for up to 2 months.
• •Slice mojama nearly transparent and dress only what you will eat. Thick pieces taste fiercely salty and tough. A cold glass of Manzanilla from Sanlúcar or Fino suits its deep tuna flavor and the toasted almonds without adding sweetness.

Advance Preparation

• •Begin 10 to 14 days before serving. Allow 24 hours for salting, 8 hours for pressing, 8 to 12 days for drying, and 24 hours for the final rest.
• •Clear a clean refrigerator shelf before starting and confirm with a thermometer that it remains between 0 and 4°C. Keep raw meat and uncovered foods away from the drying tray.
• •The finished loin can be cured several days before a dinner party. Slice it no more than 1 hour before serving, keep the slices covered and chilled, then add the oil and almonds just before they reach the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 39g)