How to Build an Epic Charcuterie Board
The year is 2016, I’m 23 yrs old not knowing a thing about Charcuterie, luckily I had two pretty great mentors show me everything I needed to know from how to cure meats to what makes a board Epic! With the holidays quickly approaching us I think it’s the perfect opportunity to give you some tips on making the best charcuterie board, your friends and family will be impressed!
What is Charcuterie?
To put it in technical terms charcuterie is a French technique in which cured meats are prepared. Bacon, sausage, ham, terrines, and pâtés are just a few of so many. In the culinary world it really is an art and a technique which requires a lot of love and patience. In the real world, charcuterie is a great way to combine your favorites meats, cheeses, and fruits on a board to share with the people you love!
All these cures are home made. An Art I learned working at FS Hotel Miami
What Boards to Use ?
When picking the board to display all this deliciousness on there really isn’t a wrong a right way to go about it. Wooden boards look best and are most practical when keeping the meats, cheeses and condiments together. There are many boards to chose from. Round, square, big or small the choice is really yours and how much you’d like to fill it. Always make sure your board is food safe which is the most important part! The choices are endless.
Picking Meats for Your Board
I typically like to chose 3-5 kinds of cured meats for my boards. Dry cures hold best for parties. Some of my favorites are dry salami, sopressata, and Prosciutto. These cures are found in most grocery stores and come in an array of choices. Want to get fancy? Adding a smoked sausage will elevate your board. Simply cook and cool the sausage and slice it when ready to place on the board.
My top Picks:
Genoa Salami
Uncured Sopresatta
Mortadella
Prosciutto
Dry Spicy Chorizo
How Many Cheeses is too Many Cheeses?!
Rule of thumb for me is always 3-5 for small to medium boards. But like I said these boards are all about what you like and what you chose to put on your epic board is fully up to you. I love to mix and match with my favorite cheeses. Mild, sharp, hard and soft. When cutting the cheese make sure to do it in all kinds of shapes and slices. This gives a more rustic and homemade feel.
Fruits, Jellies and Fillers
When choosing fruits, jellies and condiments to fill your board with I like to go with what’s in season. Spring and summer fruits like Strawberries, Raspberries and Apricots are always a go to and go well with more sharp cheeses. Dried cranberries, Figs and Quinces are great for those fall time holiday boards. If you want to go with a more savory board, fillers like stuffed olives, pickles, mustards, and nuts help add more variety and give the board a more elevated “restaurant” look.
Assembling Your Board
There’s a trick I like to use when creating any of my platters that I learned from making sushi in my early culinary years. I start in the middle with one focal point, in most cases grapes! Once I have my focal point I like to start working my way out. There’s really no technique to it other than getting creative and making it your own. I like to fold some dry meats, lay out flat pieces, create a row design, whatever I’m feeling for that occasion. Feel free to cut strawberries, add orange slices, chocolate, cracker sticks, grilled bread. The point is to fill the entire board with beautiful colors, flavors and good quality ingredients. Let the board speak for you. Do all these little things and you’ll have the best board at any party you attend!
Favorite Books for Hosting, Charcuterie and More
Here are some of my favorite books that have helped me get creative and learn new things about Charcuterie and what a real Art it is. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
