10 NOT-Charcuterie Boards You Need to Try - Goodtaste with Tanji (2024)

FAQs

What are 5 things to avoid on a charcuterie board? ›

What is the 3-3-3-3 Rule for Charcuterie Boards? No matter the style of the wood charcuterie board, you can always follow the 3-3-3-3 rule. Every charcuterie board should have three meats, three cheeses, three starch options, and three accompaniments, such as fruit, nuts, or veggies.

I used green and black grapes here and love the pop of color they add. I also include slices of pear and assorted berries. Garnish. Herbs such as rosemary, thyme, tarragon, or culinary lavender would be excellent charcuterie board garnishes.

What should you not put on a charcuterie board? You'll want to avoid overly juicy fruits whose juices will run across the board and turn your crackers and bread soggy. Skip fruits like watermelon, pineapple, and tomatoes and stick with grapes, berries, and apples or dried fruits.

Many ingredients used in charcuterie boards are high in sodium, including deli meats, dry sausages, cheeses, salted nuts, pretzels and crackers. The recommendation for daily sodium intake for adults is 2,300 milligrams or less. To reduce the sodium load on your board, add more fresh or dried fruits and raw veggies.

Briny, pickled or marinated: olives, co*cktail onions, cornichons, dill pickles, pepperoncini. We love green olives stuffed with garlic or feta, and I also like including olive tapenade and bruschetta. Savory Dips and spreads: Whole ground mustard, hummus, ranch, balsamic dip. Veggies – cold cut, if desired.

Depending on the size of your board, you should have one each of cow, sheep, and goat options with soft rind, firm, and hard cheeses in the mix. Flavors should range between nutty and mild to funky and unique. Rule of thumb: 1 cow, 1 sheep, 1 goat; 1 soft, 1 firm, 1 hard.

Plan for about 1-2 ounces of cheese per person. As with your meat selections, have your cheese sliced thin (at a 1-2 thickness) to make layering easier. If you'd like to incorporate cheese cubes, or have guests cut their own pieces, have those sliced at an 8-10 thickness.

What Is Charcuterie? Charcuterie, the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meats, is the result of humans' need to preserve meat before refrigeration was invented. The word is derived from the somewhat disturbing-sounding French term “chair cuit,” which means “cooked flesh.”

What can I put on a charcuterie board besides cheese? ›

A charcuterie board typically contains a beautifully arranged assortment of meats, cheeses, nuts and fruits. You'll also often see bread or crackers to place the food on, along with jams, butters or other spreads.

Place cheeses of different shapes and colors strategically, and layer cured meats in a cascading fashion. Creating symmetry or asymmetry can both be aesthetically pleasing so do whatever you feel works best for your ingredients. Consider placing meats and cheeses that you want to encourage pairing next to each other.

In addition to balancing flavors (sweet, salty, sour), you also want to balance textures. For cheese, you'll want something hard, medium and soft. For meat, pair a thinly sliced meat (like prosciutto) with something a bit denser (like a salami) and something more spreadable (like a pate).

Though there are many easy charcuterie board ideas out there, the process is somewhat formulaic. Start by adding structure with little dishes, then place your ingredients on the board starting with the largest elements like the cheeses and meats, followed by smaller items like crackers and fresh produce.

For this travel friendly platter I like to choose meats that are easy to slice and that don't need refrigeration right away. Smoked or Cured meats tend to be my favorite go to's like Salami, Peperoni, Summer Sausage, or Chorizo.

And while they can have healthy components, it's recommended that the namesake itself—charcuterie, or processed meats—be eaten only in limited quantities, or avoided, as they may increase your risk of certain cancers.