GrillAmerican
Grilled swordfish steaks
Meat of the sea: dense, steak-like, and easy to dry out. Hot grill, oil, lemon, and a short timer.
Made it?
12 min · 15 min hands-on · pull 130°F · rest 4 min
Ingredients
2 lb on the fire · ~1.7 lb to the table · 3 plates at 8 oz
- swordfish steaks, 1 inch thick4 (2 lb)
- olive oil2 tbsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- lemon1
- chopped oregano or thyme1 tsp
Method
- 1
Oil and season the steaks 15 minutes before they hit the grill. Preheat to high; clean and oil the grates.
- 2
Grill 3–4 minutes per side over direct heat until 130°F. Swordfish carries over and turns dry past 140.
- 3
Rest 4 minutes. Lemon and herbs at the table, not in a long marinade — acid will start to cure the surface.
If you don’t have it
- Swordfish → Mahi, halibut, or tuna. Tuna pulls rarer (115–120). Halibut is leaner — oil it more and do not walk away.
- Lemon and oregano → Chimichurri or a tomato-olive relish after the grill. Acid after cooking, not a long marinade. Citrus will start to cure the surface.
- Gas grill → Cast iron or a kettle. Same high heat, clean grates, oil the fish more than the bars.
Same cook, different day
Blackened skillet
No grill. Paprika, thyme, pepper. Smoking-hot iron, 3 minutes per side, 130°F.
Kebab
Smaller pieces. 1-inch cubes, oil, salt, 2–3 minutes per side. They overcook in a blink.
Smoked then seared
You want a little wood. Alder at 200°F to 115, then a 30-second sear per side.
On the plate
With this, try
- With this dish, try making israeli salad.
Next to grilled meat, fish, or a shawarma plate. Small dice. Salt, lemon, oil. No lettuce.
15 min
- With this dish, try making grilled asparagus.
When the meat comes off to rest. Thick spears, oil, salt. Hot grate 2–3 minutes, roll, another minute. Lemon. Pencil spears go in a hot skillet, not on the bars.
10 min
- With this dish, try making grilled onions.
Alongside a tri-tip or skirt. Thick rounds, oil, salt, the cool then hot zone until soft and marked.
25 min