Making actually good meatballs isn’t precisely rocket surgical procedure. So long as you season them aggressively and use a lightweight contact whereas mixing, you’ll be good to go. However I lately found a straightforward option to make an already scrumptious dish even higher: Simply toss in some anchovies.
This addition is sort of a no brainer when you consider it. Anchovies are mainly pure umami; simply as you’d count on, they add a ton of savoriness to meatballs. (That is clutch whenever you’re out of parmesan, which I virtually at all times am.) However in addition they add some severe richness, which I feel is likely to be much more essential. Anchovies are greasy little buggers on their very own and virtually at all times come packed in olive oil; that further fats interprets to further taste and tenderness, each of that are glorious insurance coverage towards dry, crumbly balls.
In addition they gained’t make your meatballs style fishy. (I do know that actually each recipe that features anchovies says this, and generally it’s transparently bogus, however not right here.) Anchovies pair so properly with the same old Italian-American meatball seasonings (garlic, parsley, crushed purple pepper, lemon zest, parmesan) that they soften proper in with no hint. I lately added a whole two-ounce tin of ‘chovies to meatballs made with two kilos of bland-ass floor turkey and couldn’t choose them out within the completed product in any respect; when you’re utilizing stronger-flavored meat like beef or lamb, even blended with one thing gentle like pork or veal, there’s no probability you’ll style fish. I promise. (And when you’re nonetheless cautious, you don’t have to make use of the entire tin.)
There are just a few other ways to include anchovies into the meatball combine. You possibly can merely toss them in as-is and blend them up with the remainder of the substances, which is fast and simple however can go away the bones intact. Anchovy bones are fully suitable for eating and aren’t a choking hazard, but when they current a textural aspect you’d quite keep away from, you may have two choices. Should you use uncooked aromatics in your meatball combine, simply mince up the anchovies together with the onions, garlic, and herbs. Personally, I choose cooked aromatics, so I’ll simply dump the entire tin within the pan and prepare dinner every little thing down collectively. Both of these choices will absolutely break down the bones, permitting the anchovies to vanish with no hint.
