Make the Best Anchovy Meatballs
Making really good meatballs isn’t exactly rocket surgery. As long as you season them aggressively and use a light touch when blending, you should be fine. But recently I discovered an easy way to make an already delicious dish even better: just toss in some anchovies.
This addition is not difficult if you think about it. Anchovies are essentially pure umami; As you would expect, they give the meatballs a spicy kick. (It’s a clutch when you don’t have Parmesan, which I almost always do.) But they also add some serious richness that I think might be even more important. Anchovies are fatty little bastards themselves and are almost always packed in olive oil; this extra fat results in extra flavor and tenderness, which is a great guarantee against dry, crumbly balls.
They also won’t make your meatballs taste fishy. (I know literally every recipe that includes anchovies says this, and sometimes it’s obviously fake, but not here.) Anchovies go so well with the usual Italian-American meatball seasonings (garlic, parsley, ground red pepper, lemon zest, parmesan). that they dissolve without a trace. I recently added a whole two-ounce can of chovie to meatballs made from two pounds of bland ground turkey and couldn’t distinguish them at all in the finished product; if you are using a stronger tasting meat like beef or lamb, even mixed with something softer like pork or veal, there is no chance you will get the taste of fish. I promise. (And if you’re still careful, you don’t have to use the whole can.)
There are several different ways to add anchovies to your meatball mix. You can just toss them as is and mix them in with the rest of the ingredients, which is quick and easy but may leave the bones intact. Anchovy bones are completely safe to eat and pose no choking hazard, but if they are a textural element you prefer to avoid, you have two options. If you’re using raw flavors in your meatball mix, simply mince the anchovies along with the onions, garlic, and herbs. Personally, I prefer boiled flavorings, so I just pour the whole jar into the pan and cook it all together. Any of these options will completely destroy the bones, allowing the anchovies to disappear without a trace.