Tips To Put Together A Charcuterie Board
Charcuterie, pronounced “Shahr-Ku-tuh-ree”, is the art of preparing and assembling a variety of cheese and meat with veggies, nuts, crackers, dried fruits and a lot more. It is a French term for the art of preparing cured meats so this art is also dependant on the size you can find from the available variety of charcuterie boards for sale, just as the painting that an artist would like to paint is dependent on the size of the canvas. Charcuterie boards are a great meal to savor with friends, family or a meet-up within the neighborhood.
Do not get confused and groggy by the difficult to pronounce a name, they are not only gorgeous but also quite nutritious simultaneously having a combination of flavors. Charcuterie boards are not difficult to prepare, you can load them with cured meats along with your favorite type of cheese, keeping the fact in mind that creativity and good taste is the key to produce an epic Charcuterie board.
Preparing a Charcuterie board is simple yet amazing, where you can add various flavors from your everyday ingredients that take just a few minutes to assemble. Here are a few tips below for you to follow, in order to prepare a board that everyone will rave about:
1. Platter/Board
The most important element in the preparation of the charcuterie board is selecting the perfect platter that you are going to use in laying out all the ingredients or a bunch of meat and cheese to serve. Many will agree that wooden boards, of any shape and sizes, are best to use because of the conventional and traditional feel that it gives while serving the platter. Wooden boards can be used at any time of the year, for any purpose or occasion. There are rustic and metallic boards as well that are available in the market. They look great with cured meats and cheese, marble platters are now being used for those who like modern presentation look. why you select your preferred board, it is important to check the quality first, to see if it can withstand the weight of all the meal items that you are going to place on that platter.
2. What Meat should be added?
According to the culinary encyclopedia, charcuterie is defined as the products based on meat and complemented with a variety of cheese. Henceforth the meat is an essential entity in preparing the delicious charcuterie platter. The platter preparation includes cured meats, fresh and smoked sausages, hams, etc. in the form of ready-cooked dishes.
Choose from taking the hard meat like salami, Spanish cured chorizo, thinly sliced on the bias; something soft like pork rillettes; And dry-cured meat like prosciutto, coppa, or speck. It is a good idea to have a variety of staples on your platter with which people are familiar and taste great on every taste bud. Put a mix of a different variety of meat contrasting in textures, colors, and shapes. You can also add smoked fish or marinated fried prawns to add more variety. Try to use a variety of food and cheese to balance out your board. Garnish every category of meat with different types of spices, ranging from mild to very spicy.
3. What Cheese should be added?
In order to add texture, shape and color cheeses are included in the charcuterie boards. You should select a variety of cheese that is different in texture and color from each other, ranging from mild to strong flavor. Here is a list of a variety of cheese that you can add to compliment your meat platter and add color to your charcuterie assemble:
- Soft cheese – goat cheese, mozzarella cheese
- Smoked / firm cheese – Smoked Gouda
- Aged cheese – sharp cheddar
- Blue cheese – Gorgonzola
4. What else?
Besides meat and cheese, you can add up a lot of other variety to your board. You can put variations of crackers and slices of bread, pickled vegetables, fresh fruits in order to add eye-catching colors as well as a flavor full scrumptious meal.
5. Approximate quantity
It is advisable to use a measured quantity of meat corresponding to the number of guests that you will be serving. You can add 3-4 slices per person and calculate the approximate quantity that you are going to put on your charcuterie board.
6. Timing of preparation
Do not underestimate the importance of analyzing the time that you would take in preparing a great charcuterie board. Try to prepare in advance if you are making it for the first time or even otherwise do keep the time consideration in mind and then decide upon your time factor in assembling that appealing charcuterie.
7. Add Height
Never go for monotonous and a single layer assembly of the Charcuterie board. Always try to add height and layers, to make your meat and cheese variety prominent. Use small utensils to add height and place any item over it. Flat platters aren’t appealing, adding height adds areas of interest and draws everyone’s attention.
Conclusion
Putting together an exotic charcuterie board should be fun and not a stressful one. So, wear your creative sense and roll up your sleeves to bring up a professional charcuterie for every occasion.
