Folks - charcuterie is NOT breakfast food.
It is NOT candy.
It is NOT S'mores It is NOT all cheese It is not butter and compound butter spreads
Charcuterie is all about the meats! This French tradition was born in the 15th century. A period of time when there was no refrigeration and the use of smoke, salt, and vinegar was used to preserve meats and offal to avoid waste! These preservation techniques date back several thousand years and has been used in many countries. What was more commonly preserved was pork/offal. However, there are other meats used as well.
It wasnt until the 1990's that folks in the USA decided to create derivatives with all sorts of themed arrangements. But, it is not true charcuterie and never will be simply because of the translation of the word. Let's look at what a true charcuterie set-up is and what it has.
The word "charcuterie"is a term used to describe "cooked flesh". There are three types of items offered: Forcemeats, Salumi, and Sausages. Forcemeats are your spreadables made with a mixture of meats and offal (organ meat). When you hear terrines, pâtés, ballontines, and such, that is what Forcemeats are. Salumi is referring to Italian meats, often including whole cuts like a leg or roasts (think Prosciutto). And then we have have sausages. This is the common ground meats and spices that is stuffed into intestinal casing, to which it is dry-aged or cooked.
Depending on what you are using, these are salted, rich, smoky, and/or charred. It is important to get a balance of flavors into this on your board. With a combination of textures available, the right palate cleansers, and balancing flavors, this will be a great line-up of offerings! That's the main component of a Charcuterie set-up!
SERVINGS:
If the charcuterie is served as an appetizer, a good rule of thumb is 2oz-3oz per person.
If the charcuterie is served as the main meal, a good rule of thumb is 4oz-6oz per person.
Your charcuterie is best arranged on special wooden boards, not cutting boards. Other types of boards can be made of marble, granite, and formica, so long as they have not been chemically treated. For marble and granite, these surfaces are perfect for your sliced options. The boards should be material that originally was made for food-use. Always have some knife spreaders, toothpicks, utensils, small cups/dishes readily available as there are some ingredients that will require them. I typically will use small-sized disposable plates for when Im piling on my snacking choices.
When it comes to spreads and finger foods that sit in a brine, marinade, or any fluid, it is always best to serve in small bowls. These are best positioned on the outside of the board for easy access. Within the board, try to pair said-item near other offerings that pair well together. When it comes to things like toast, crostini, and thin crackers, those are best arranged separately as they can take on moisture. Thick crackers can be displayed within the Charcuterie board as they are more dense.
A Charcuterie board should target a minimum 3/3/3/3 approach: three types of meats, cheese, accoutrements, and foundations. Having sliced, bite-sized, and wedges of meats and cheeses brings variety to the plate. For added texture, remember your spreadables like pâtés, terrines, and cheese mixtures. Crunchy offerings like nuts and seeds are excellent with the spreadable meats/cheeses. Crackers, breads, and breadsticks are great foundations to create the perfect all-inclusive bite.
FOUNDATIONS and other add-ons are always welcome, but not always directly on the charcuterie board itself. When including seafood of any kind, always keep it away from other ingredients to avoid potential cross-contamination and arrange on its own plate or in a bowl. Baked savory bites like these spinach rolls are quite bulky and deserve a plate all on its own! When it comes to cheese wedges that are fairly large, they deserve their own piece of real estate. The same goes for toasted bread/crostini as they can be quite bulky as well. A great mix would be breadsticks, toasted garlic bread crostini, and some crackers. The combinations will work with everything!
Sliced meats and cheese look incredible when it is in rows or set-patterns. Your sliced meats (salumi) can also be set up in rows or set-patterns. You can also take some time to get decorative by making rosettes, cones, or display the slices in wrapped patterns. For folks looking for texture, having diced or strip options available works great for those who are creating combinations on their plate.
SPREADABLES: there is nothing I love more than a fresh batch of homemade boursin. I have a recipe available here on my website. Where some folks may not want sliced or diced cheese options, the ability to slather on a spreadable cheese can definitely be another cheese option to have. There are marinade/dressing recipes also available on my page that could definitely come in handy for things like marinated mushrooms, mozzarella, and artichokes that were used on this board.
Because a charcuterie board is salty, briny, smoky, and diversified in textures, incorporating certain fruits like grapes and strawberries offers the sweetness and palate cleansing needed when enjoying offerings from a Charcuterie board. Combinations such as herbs and nuts can definitely bring a bit of earthiness to the board but also pair beautifully. A balance of something acidic like marinated mozzarella or artichokes, this is a great offering to help break through the rich, savory offerings of a charcuterie board.
For your next holiday gathering or special event, a charcuterie offering is definitely well worth the time, labor and effort to pull together and a great way to offer as an appetizer or as an incredible dinner option.
PALATE CLEANSERS: Because a charcuterie board features several savory, salty, and briny offerings, it is important to have some add-ons for not just cleaning the palate but, pairing certain dried and fresh fruits is truly key. If you have ever been to a BBQ competition, it is common that you will see the judges with a dish of some sort of fruit. They will grab a grape or sliced cucumber to munch on before sampling the next competitor's BBQ submission. It is the same principle here. Grapes, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, sliced English cucumber, dried cherries, dried cranberries, and dried apricots are amazing add-ons and also helps cut through the rich meats and cheese.
Sorry about the dishes. You sorta-kinda can't get out of it with this. ;)
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