1. Trim any skin or dark or bloody spots off the tuna. Rinse the tuna under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels. Arrange the steaks in a nonreactive baking dish.

2. Combine the basil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Pour this mixture over the tuna and let marinate
in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to 2 hours, turning the tuna steaks several times.

3. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. IF using a gas grill, place the wood
chips, if desired, in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch (see page 17) and preheat until you see smoke.
When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. If using a charcoal grill, toss the wood chips, if desired, on the coals.

Drain the tuna steaks and arrange on the grill. Grill until cooked to taste, 2 to 3 minutes per side for rare, 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium, rotating the steaks 45 degrees after 2 minutes to create an attractive crosshatch of grill marks.
The steaks should be nicely browned on the outside.

Test for doneness using the poke method A rare steak will be quite soft, with just a little resistance at the surface; a medium-rare steak will be gently yielding; and a medium steak will be quite firm. Transfer the steaks to plates or a platter and let rest for 3 minutes.