Coffee Cured Ahi Tuna Salad with Turrialba Cheese and Lime Dressing

Ingredients for tuna:
3 oz (85 g) Ahi Tuna
½ cup (125 ml) medium grind Costa Rican coffee
¼ cup (60 ml) cane sugar
2 tbsp (30 ml) unrefined salt from Osa Peninsula

Method:
1. To prepare the tuna, mix the coffee, sugar and salt together until well combined.
2. Coat the tuna with the coffee mixture and seal it in a vacuum bag or Ziploc bag with the air removed. Refrigerate overnight.
3. The next day, remove the tuna, rinse well and pat dry, being sure not to remove all the coffee from the tuna when cleaning.

Ingredients for soy lime dressing:
¼ cup (60 ml) plus 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lime juice
¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
½ tsp (2 ml) minced garlic
A few drops of chili garlic sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup (125 ml) plus 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil

Method:
1. Prepare dressing by whisking, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

Ingredients for toasted pine nuts:
2 tsp (10 ml) butter
1/3 cup (80 ml) pine nuts
1 tbsp (15 ml) honey
1 tsp ichimi togarashi (or chili flakes)
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Place the nuts and butter in a saute pan and cook over medium heat until the butter is bubbling and the nuts begin to brown.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients for the nuts into the pan and mix well. Remove the nuts from the butter and pat dry on paper towel.
3. Once the nuts are cool, finely chop and set aside.

Ingredients for salad:
2 cups organic greens
½ cup (125 ml) peeled green mango, peeled. Cut then sliced into large pieces then and grilled
2 tbsp (30 ml) prepared pine nuts
1 tsp (5 ml) finely chopped crispy bacon, chopped fine
1 oz (30 g) Turrialba cheese (or substitute mozzarella), cut into ½ -inch (1 cm) cubes
1 tbsp (15 ml) thinly sliced red onion

Method for assembling:
1. Chop the pieces of grilled mango into ½ inch cubes then toss them with the greens, bacon, Turrialba cheese, red onion, macadamia nuts and your desired amount of dressing.