Otoro at 98 degrees: Otoro nigiri · 172

The forward belly, and the summit of tuna fat. Everything this cut is worth comes down to a fat density that starts melting the moment it meets body temperature. Straight from the fridge it stays mute; a few minutes out and the fat opens up completely. Sold by fat band, not BMS — colour and cold-chain beat a stamp.

Colour, sinew, where the fat sits, and thickness are what you check before you pay. Ask for the thickness that matches “Otoro nigiri.” Use 98 degrees and 98 when you cook. Salt after you know the job. Do not play with undercooked meat. At the counter, read the use on Otoro before the photograph. 98 degrees is the internal heat, “Otoro nigiri” is the dish, and 98 is the stage of the fire. Marbling alone does not split stew from grill. The fat striations should run close together and evenly, without breaking up.

At the counter, read the use on Otoro before the photograph. 98 degrees is the internal heat, “Otoro nigiri” is the dish, and 98 is the stage of the fire. Marbling alone does not split stew from grill. The fat striations should run close together and evenly, without breaking up. A cut’s grain comes from how much the muscle worked. Otoro needs heat through to 98 degrees before “Otoro nigiri” makes sense. 98 is a stage of that heat, not a luxury score. The same cut becomes a stew, a grill, or a braise, so a steak minute does not cover a pot. Thick connective tissue wants time, not a hard sear alone. This is not medical advice.