Building the Perfect Charcuterie Board

 

      We always called this "Finger Food Night", but with the recent popularity of Charcuterie I simply modified my approach.  We both love being able to casually graze while talking, listening to music, or watching TV.  Sports is not a good fit to watch here as too much 'food fight' can ensue.  

      I have prepared these about 2-3 times a year now and recently did some research on the whole array of options available.  Boy, was I in for a surprise.  First of all, you do not need a fancy wooden charcuterie serving board unless you want one.  I have 2 small alder boards and 1 large, beautiful olive wood board.  Keep in mind who your audience is and how much will they eat.  This can serve 2-8 people depending on how much you want to prepare.  Barb and I try to keep it simple.  At first, we were meat, cheese, crackers, fruit, but there are many options.  

      It’s important to remember that your board is an appetizer, but can be a main course if you wish.

      Meat: Two to three slices of meat, or approximately 2 to 3 ounces per person should satisfy your guests ahead of the rest of the meal. Per-pound prices might give you sticker shock, but many are best sliced wafer thin, so a few ounces go a long way. If you’re serving 8 – 10 people, you will need 1 – 1 1/2 lbs of meat, and you’ll want to pick at least one from each category (more on that below) .

      Cheese: It’s usually sliced a little thicker, so 3 ounces of cheese per person or 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 pounds in total for 8-10 people (roughly 3 medium-size hunks) should do the trick.

      Extras: The more the better! My number one complaint about meat and cheese platters at restaurants is that they often don’t give you enough bread. Don’t make this mistake. You’ll want at least one cracker or piece of bread for every slice of meat. Extras — pickles, spreads, nuts, fruits — should all be plentiful. It’s OK if they out-number your meats and cheeses, since your guests may want to play with different flavor combos in each bite. It would not be unreasonable to serve 5-10 handfuls or small vessels of extras.

MEATS

Dry-Cured Pork: Thin-sliced, fatty and salty, dry-cured pork is a must. Serrano ham, prosciutto, country ham, Iberico ham, capicola and speck are all readily available. I don't recommend capicola as it is made from the neck and can be stiff.  You can get it prepackaged or sliced fresh from the deli.

Bresaola: Like prosciutto, bresaola is also dried and cured, but instead of pork, it’s usually made from beef top round, lending it a deeper flavor and more toothsome texture. 

Salami: Salami is possibly the most versatile and varied. It’s an aged sausage made from ground meat seasoned with a variety of herbs, spices and alliums, then dried and fermented in several styles (like soppressata, finocchiona, Genoa). Smaller salami is best served in thicker slices, while larger ones are best shaved thin. 

      Choose one meat from each category — for example, a nice variety might include prosciutto, bresaola, soppressata, and mortadella. You can buy an equal amount of each or play with proportions if you enjoy one more than the other.  

      Barb and I love, and usually stick with, Genoa Salami, Soppressata, and Proscuitto.  With the popularity of this many stores have a deli section that sometimes have prepackaged offerings to get you started.

 

CHEESE

Soft Cheeses: Brie, Camembert, triple-cream, burrata, goat cheese, fresh ricotta, Gorgonzola.  These spreadable cheeses lend tons of flavor and buttery texture. Don’t feel like you must commit to a whole wheel of Brie; it is available in small wheels enough for two.  

Semi-Soft Cheeses: Fontina, Muenster, Roquefort, Havarti. These land in the sweet spot between soft and firm, and they are easy to slice on a board. They’re creamy, but not gooey, and are mild in firmness and flavor. Fontina is perfect to mellow out a thick slice of spicy salami.

Firm: Cheddar, Gouda, Gruyère, Stilton, Jarlsberg, Manchego. These cheeses can hold their own in flavor, and a slice will be stiff enough to top and eat without a cracker. Though still creamy like a semi-soft, the firm cheeses offer a little more funk and flavor. Grassy gruyere uplifts ribbony, salty prosciutto.

Hard: Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino-Romano, Asiago. These dry, salty, crystalized cheeses work well broken into hunks or pre-sliced and bring out the best in fatty cuts like soppressata or bresaola.

      Barb and I love Gouda, Brie, and Gorgonzola to start, sometimes adding a cheese ball.  Something important to remember:  Anyone who has sampled a charcuterie board for the first time always comments "There isn't enough bread".  Make sure you add plenty of choice crackers, toasted baguette, crostini, melba toast or even toasted pita.  

Nuts: Spiced nuts, candied nuts, Marcona almonds, roasted nuts, nut brittle.

Fruit: Grapes, sliced apples and pears, dried apricots, dried cranberries, dried and fresh figs. Apples are delicious and are a great cracker substitute for almost any bite. Grapes are a favorite on a charcuterie board for a reason — they don’t oxidize, they are fine room temperature, and they love meat and cheese flavors. And don’t forget seasonal fruits; in late summer peaches and melon are a revelation with prosciutto and brie!

Spreads: Honey, mustard, fig jam, pepper jelly, sweet or savory chutneys, tapenades. The fun is in experimenting with flavor combos.

Pickled/Briny: Brined or oil-cured olives, cornichons, caper berries, marinated artichokes, roasted red peppers and pickled vegetables. These create delightful contrast to the fattier flavors. You can borrow from the Italian antipasto with artichokes and red peppers. 

     Yeah, I know the above list seems daunting, but you will easily develop your own preferences and favorites, borrowing and substituting within categores.  A little bit of everything for everybody or just the two of you. Price can be a factor so always look for specials and stock up when you can in advance.  I have found that Walmart, Meijers, and HEB offer the best selection and prices.  The perfect wine pairing for nearly every Charcuterie might very well be good Pinot Noir or Syrah.  

      The final category of thought is the artistry of placement of the food so as to be visually appealing, balanced, and diverse.  Admittedly, I am NOT SO MUCH right brained so this can be a chore for me.  Thank God for my bride.  

       My most recent board featured Soppressata, Genoa Salami, Proscuitto, Grapes, Pistachios, crackers, Brie, Gorgonzola, Olives, Sweet Gherkins, and Gouda.  I also added a Hatch Voodoo Cheeseball. This easily fed 4.  Change up the menu, folks.  Promote a romantic, intimate meal to share your soul.  

      "A good board brings all people together and keeps all the memories they make with each other.  You have to be a romantic to invest yourself, your money, and your time in cheese"

 Anthony Bourdain

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