Otoro — Sushi · 133

Cook Otoro as Sushi to 98° at the centre. Plate as Otoro nigiri. Angle 3: check thickness before the clock. 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. The fat striations should run close together and evenly, without breaking up.

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. Cook Otoro as Sushi to 98° at the centre. Thick grain needs more time. A cut’s grain comes from how much the muscle worked. Otoro needs heat through to 98° before “Sushi” 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.

Cook Otoro as Sushi to 98° at the centre. Thick grain needs more time. A cut’s grain comes from how much the muscle worked. Otoro needs heat through to 98° before “Sushi” 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.