Flavor Your Red Meat With Tinned Fish And Never Look Back

Long enjoyed in the cuisines of places like Spain, Portugal, South Korea, and Nordic countries, tinned fish have now firmly made it to American shores. Sure, a can of tuna for salad or anchovies for Caesar dressing likely already stowed in the pantry, but the kind of tinned fish you'd use for a fancy charcuterie board is a newer advent.

In addition to enjoyment on its own, a creative application for nice tinned seafood is alongside red meat. Many types of canned fish are satiated with a bold savory note, which complements beef for an especially umami-laden take on surf 'n turf. From crafting a sauce, relish, or simply serving alongside, there's several routes of mouthwatering crossover.

Most popular for the task are anchovies; in paste form they're already a great twist for steak. However, reach for the tinned fish, and the options expand. For instance, marry with chopped garlic, olive oil, and parsley to yield a Northern Italian bagna cauda, which is the perfect zesty topping for a medium-rare slice of beef. Or sauté into a nuttier form as an anchovy butter, spooning the creamy mixture atop steak. After all, just a little canned fish will amplify beef flavors to surprising effect.

While the combination of anchovies and steak are well documented, there's other tinned seafood pairings to explore, too. Sardines — which hail from the same family — are another fish that mingles with beef. Less salty, certain cans of these seafood are even smoked, which can imbue a delectable twist alongside steak. You could prepare the fish into a herbal sauce, crafting an extra meaty chimichurri or pesto to serve alongside beef. Alternatively, pulverize with citrus and capers for a tangier condiment to go with steak. Or sauté with aromatics to further soften the fishy flavors.

In a similar vein, canned mackerel is another fish that does well in condiment form. Fatty, rich in umami, yet even less fishy, the ingredient often comes in olive oil. Simply pair with sharp ingredients like pickles, capers, spicy chilies, or raw onions to cut through the fat, and you have yourself a delicious relish or fish-based chili paste. Only a few spoonfuls will add a terrific enhancement to a steak.

And finally, don't sleep in familiar canned tuna. A tuna tomato sauce is a classic pasta addition (tonnato is the gourmet sauce you can make with a can of tuna) that could work with a tougher cut of beef. Or, go down a zestier route, and chop up higher quality canned tuna alongside spices like fennel seed and cumin, chilies, and a preserved citrus, crafting a pungent topping for steak.