Charcuterie is a French meat plate made with prepared and/or smoked meat products such as bacons, hams, sausages, pates, salamis and other cold cuts.
Loosely translated into english, charcuterie means “Pork Butcher” or “deli”
Here are 10 Tips to Create The Perfect Charcuterie Platter
1. Use A Mixture of Cured Meats & Salamis
- Options to consider: Cured meats such as Jamon Serrano, Proscuitto, Mocetta, Capicola, Sopressata, etc.
- Cured sausages: Spanish dried chorizo, Genoa salami, etc.
2. Add A Paté
- Paté is a mixture of cooked ground meat with added ingredients such as vegetables, truffles or nuts
- Paté is minced into a creamy spreadable taste
- A must add to your charcuterie platter as it adds a new flavour and texture to the plate
- The great thing about Paté is that you can buy as little or as much as you like because they are normally sold by weight
3. Bread and or Crackers
- Crackers or a fresh baguette sliced thin are a must add to any plate
- *Hint: If slicing a fresh baguette, slice on the diagonal
- Want to mix it up even more? Try serving with a croissant!
4. Get Pickled
- Adding a pickled vegetable is a must!
- Baby pickles, picked red onions, pickled okra, pickled mushrooms or pickled olives are a great choice
5. Spreads and Jelly
- Pair your meat platter with sweet and savoury spreads
- These go well with crackers and sliced meats
- Try fruit preserves or grainy mustards
- Hummus
6. Try New Things
- Be Adventurous at the deli and don’t recognize the cold cut? Great!
- The more interesting, the better
- This is the perfect opportunity to try something new
7. Look In The Fridge
- Have some meaty leftovers that are still good? Slice them thin and add to your meaty platter
10. Add Fruit
- Fresh grapes, figs apricots, whatever is in season is a great bet!
- Dried fruits are also great, like dried peaches or dried apples
11. Go Nuts
- Adding almonds, pistachios or walnuts is a great choice for your platter
9. Have Enough For The People Your Serving
- The go to portion size is about 2 to 3 ounces (55 to 85 g) of meat per person
10. Be Careful Of Temperatures
- Don’t let your charcuterie sit our for more than two hours at room temperature
