How To Make the Best Charcuterie Board!
June 13, 2022I loveeee getting together with family and friends. There’s just something about having some laughs over some good food and delicious wine with your favorite people, that brings me LIFE!
Now, if you’ve been following me awhile, you know my extreme fondness for wine (check out my wine tasting experience in Southern Willamette Valley!), so it shouldn’t be a surprise that my go-to hors d’oeuvre for entertaining is an epic charcuterie board. I love the simplicity of charcuterie boards because they can please just about any palate, and your guests can whip up all sorts of combinations to keep their experience unique and entertaining! Plus, they are perfect year-round and you can use everything from seasonal finds to support local products.
If you’ve never assembled a charcuterie board, keep scrolling! Today, I’m spilling all my secrets: from my favorite wooden boards for charcuterie, to easy preparation tips. So, go ahead, grab any of these stunning boards and learn how to make the best charcuterie board to create an impressive treat that your guests will surely rave over!
THE BEST CHARCUTERIE BOARDS
Before gathering all of my ingredients, I like choosing my charcuterie board first because it ties everything together—and for a dish that’s all about great presentation, a quality board should be the star of the show! These days I always find myself reaching for my Reclaimed Pine Wood Pizza Peel/Cutting Board/Serving Tray because I love how large and versatile it is!
WOOD
I love a good wooden serving board, in fact I have several in different sizes and use them for everything from serving pizza to putting together a small cheese and charcuterie board for one. These are the best wooden boards for charcuterie below!
Beck Cheese Board and 3 Copper Cheese Knives Set
Wood Serving Board – Studio McGee
Besti Rustic Vintage Food Serving Trays (Set of 2)
Reclaimed Pine Wood Pizza Peel/Cutting Board/Serving Tray
WOOD + MARBLE
If you’re looking to glam up your Charcuterie board, consider using one that is both wood and marble. These are great to also use as home decor in your kitchen when not in use!
Wood/Marble Inlay Serving Board
Godinger Marble and Wood Round Cheese Board
THE BEST INGREDIENTS
Now that you have your charcuterie board ready, it’s time to gather up your ingredients: soft and hard meats, high quality crackers, olives, dips, various cheeses, and whatever else you deem fancy that’ll spruce up the whole look of your spread!
It’s time for my favorite part: assembling the ingredients! My trick is I divide my board up into parts, then I pick ingredients for each category that complement each other. For example, hard meats that need to be sliced are placed alongside harder cheeses like a block of Manchego. I also put soft, deep red meats like prosciutto alongside colorful berries. Basically, it’s just all about balancing flavors, textures, and colors!
Now that you have assembled and placed your main ingredients, it’s time to unleash your creativity by decorating your board with accent ingredients! And by that, I mean sliced baguette, pickles, olives, crackers, and jam. I use cute small bowls and plates to hold fruits and other ingredients to add dimension and color to the board. Be creative, enjoy the process, and witness as your edible masterpiece come together!
Choosing the best service utensils
And to polish off your Charcuterie board, place some fancy utensils on the side! My favorite among the list would be the Artisan Rattan Cheese Knives! I just love how the brass material complements the rattan handles!
Here are my three favorite service utensil sets:
Artizan Rattan Cheese Knives, Set of 3
Greyson Cheese Spreaders, Set of 4
FINAL TIPS + TRICKS
– Select a variety of meat and cheese, meaning an assortment of mild, medium and bold flavors. Some people prefer softer, mild meats and cheeses, where others enjoy sharper, bolder flavors – just be sure to have both!
– Consider adding seasonal fruit to the mix! While the main event attraction of a charcuterie board should be the meat and cheese selection, it is always smart to include fresh in-season fruit to add sweetness and change up the experience. I personally love adding grapes, or when in season, strawberries.
– Jams or preserves: This is important! Include 1 or 2 jams or preserves for some added flavor and sweetness to balance out the dry and salty meat and cheese. A personal favorite is adding in a fig spread or a pepper jelly. I also like to sometimes include apricot jam, or a local produced honey (with the comb!).
– Provide something briny to pair with the meat and cheese. Pickled vegetables, such as gherkins or pickles, olives, pickled jalapenos or pepperoncinis are great on charcuterie boards.
– Other spreads: You may also include any of your favorite spreads, such as stone ground mustard, tapenade, pate, hummus, or another type of white bean dip. These spreads are great for spreading on fresh toast points, or soft baguette to then stack with meat or cheese!
– Etc.: Get creative by including anything else you think your friends or family would enjoy! I have a girlfriend who LOVES chocolate, so I always make sure that I include a few chopped, easy-to-at pieces of local chocolate.
If you’re looking for more inspiration, this charcuterie book by Shelly Westerhausen will definitely save you from all the stress and frustration! It comes with 40 easy-to-prepare recipes and presentation tips to help you master the art of making appealing spreads! This book has really helped me create some of my best boards to date!
I hope this guide has helped a little! If you haven’t found the perfect wine to pair with your charcuterie board just yet, I hope this rundown of my favorite wines can help you!
Now if you’re ready to make a cocktail, before you sit down and enjoy your charcuterie board, check out this recipe for a delicious Fresh Basil Gin Gimlet! Cheers friends!
Cheers!
XO,
M
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