Charcuterie and creating charcuterie boards has gained a lot of attention and fans over the past few years. Just google “charcuterie boards” and you will have an endless number of sites to visit. However, the term charcuterie is not a new one. It originated in France in the mid-1800’s and the actual word translates to “pork-butcher’s shop”. Most know it today as the art of preparing and assembling cured meats. Merriam-Webster defines the word as a delicatessen specializing in dressed meats and meat dishes and also the products sold in such a shop. These days it has evolved into extravagant boards made up of all types of foods, not just meats – vegetables, fruits, cheese, crackers and even pate. You name it and I bet someone has made a charcuterie board with it.
Many look at these boards and think “I could never create one of those”. However, building one does not have to be complicated. That’s one of the pluses of it. You can make it as simple or complicated as you want. And you can adjust based on the number of people you are serving.
For all you beginners out there, here are a few sites with helpful instructions:
This site provides step by step instructions on how to create just a simple charcuterie board.
How to Build a Simple Charcuterie Board
Below is a link that lists what meats and cheeses are best to use, portions based on your gathering and step by step instructions. It also gives you helpful hints on the size of your board and even how to cut different cheeses.
Charcuterie Board for Beginners
Now that you know how to assemble a board, here are some recipes and ideas for items to use for the board. There are twenty different boards with ideas ranging from standard meat and cheese types to even a burrata board.
Many have taken charcuterie boards and gone one step further. I have seen many types of boards created that don’t include cured meats but are assembled using food items with a theme. I have seen everything from breakfast boards with bagels, waffles, fruit and jams to dessert boards with smores themes and even movie night themes with popcorn, pretzels and all sorts of candy.
Whatever you choose, it really just comes down to creating a board that is filled with delicious treats and is visually pleasing as well.
Enjoy!
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