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SHOW YOUR CREATIVE SIDE WITH THESE CHARCUTERIE BOARD IDEAS
Charcuterie (pronounced shar-KOO-tuh-ree) is French for cured or otherwise preserved meats (it’s also a deli or shop that sells cooked, processed, and cured meats, particularly pork). Charcuterie comes in all shapes, sizes, price points, and, increasingly, artfully displayed on wooden boards in pretty Instagram-worthy arrangements. From date nights to picnics to dinner parties, charcuterie is the perfect way to get your meal or snack just right from the first bite.
What is a Charcuterie Board?
Simple charcuterie boards are dry cured meat platters that contain a variety of thinly sliced meats served at room temperature or cold. The appetizer features artfully organized dried cured meats like bresaola, capicola, country ham, Iberico ham, mortadella, prosciutto, salami, sausage, and Serrano ham and spreads like pâté and rillettes on a wooden board (hence the term charcuterie board), platter, or plate.
While charcuterie is an appetizer rooted in French culinary traditions, antipasto is an Italian concept served as the first course of lunch or dinner. Both charcuterie and antipasto are served family-style and feature similar dry-cured meats, but antipasto also includes cheese like burrata, fontina, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Charcuterie boards are versatile and are the perfect starter for holiday parties, summer barbecues, and brunches. Building your own charcuterie board is a fun way to show off your creative side, arranging sliced charcuterie into whimsical Christmas trees, fall wreaths, and simple rustic wooden boards. Charcuterie palate-pleasing presentations can be as unique as you are!
What to Put On a Charcuterie Board?
While traditional charcuterie features meat only, modern charcuterie boards often also include a variety of cheese, dried fruits, fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, cornichons, olives, roasted peppers, and sweet and savory condiments like chutney, dips and spreads, tapenade, honey, jam, jelly, and mustard plus sliced French baguette, crostini, and/or crackers. While the meat is usually uncooked, charcuterie is safe to eat because it is dry cured, according to K-State. Dry curing is when meat is salt cured and air dried.
While it’s fun to get creative and put together your own charcuterie board, Goldbelly has you covered with ready-made charcuterie boards, cheese platters, and meat and cheese boards, ready to ship and serve during your next dinner party, game day, or holiday.
Some of Our Favorite Simple Charcuterie Boards
While you could spend hours at the store shopping for charcuterie and then assembling your board, let the pros do the work so you can spend more time eating. These unique charcuterie boards and cheese boards are such works of art that they look too good to eat. Almost!
With so many charcuterie options and unique charcuterie board ideas featuring a mélange of meats, cheeses, and small nibbles, dips, and condiments, you may just have to try them all.
CheeseBoarder
CheeseBoarder handcrafts ready-to-serve, farm-to-table cheese boards in Palm Beach, Florida.
Beauty & The Board
Beauty & The Board in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, creates cute charcuterie boards that feature fresh produce, artisanal cheese, charcuterie, candy, snacks, and delightful touches to create luxurious, artfully arranged grazing boards.
Cochon Butcher
Hybrid butcher shop/restaurant Cochon Butcher in New Orleans house-cures its own salami, making its butcher charcuterie box one of the best.
Salty Pork Bits
Salty Pork Bits offers exceptional salumi handcrafted by a team of chefs in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Justin Severino, a four-time James Beard Award nominee, combines old world techniques with new world flavors in his charcuterie gift boxes.
Melissa’s Produce
Los Angeles’ Melissa’s Produce, the U.S.‘s largest distributor of specialty produce in the United States, carefully curates its charcuterie platters with meat, seasonal fruit, and treats like chocolate-covered almonds.
Read More: What is a Charcuterie Board, Exactly?
