Due to its French origins, charcuterie is destined to be elegant and tasty. Although it doesn’t have a high-end reputation, a successful charcuterie platter is becoming more and more popular!
Although it sounds sophisticated, charcuterie is a French term for a platter of cured meats. Initially, this way of serving food referred to preserved meats, but nowadays a charcuterie board may contain different types of cheese, bread, fruits and vegetables. Still, the most commonly used meat is pork, but we would suggest using an array of meats for your guests to choose from. You can add smoky and zesty meat, prosciutto, Italian sausages, mortadella. You’ll notice we’re fond of Italian cuisine, but you can mix up several cuisines on your board.
You can’t talk about a French delicacy without adding cheese to it. However, make sure you add at least one common type of cheese, such as cheddar, since not everyone enjoys a "fancier" cheese. As far as preparation goes, bite-sized cubes are preferred to facilitate consumption. Provide a great variety of cheeses, mixing creamy, firm, soft and other cheese types to form a proper balance between fine and heavy cheeses and keep everyone happy.
As far as fruits and vegetables are concerned, they are mostly used as decoration since it’s hard to believe that someone would choose raspberries over high-quality meats and tasty cheese. Still, you can let your imagination run wild. Make a mixture of sweet and sour, placing pickles, olives and fresh fruit on your charcuterie board. Grapes, apples, and pears seem to be a reasonable choice for your board, pairing great with certain types of meat.
Of course, creating the perfect charcuterie board demands a lot of planning and research. If you’re not a professional chef, you may find it challenging to create the perfect balance between meats, cheeses and condiments. Still, no cooking is needed, making it enjoyable and simple to create.
However, before you choose the ingredients, you absolutely must choose a charcuterie board. Luckily, wood serving boards are easy to find. A butcher block can create the perfect centrepiece, serving your carefully selected meats. Check out our wide variety of small and large butcher blocks to choose from today!
