What is charcuterie?
More than just a bunch of meat on a plate, charcuterie is a do-it-yourself culinary adventure. Transform your charcuterie board into the perfect go-to for every occasion with Primo’s superb pantry items. These make a perfect pairing with cured meats, cheese, fresh or preserved fruit, cocktails, and more!
A charcuterie board consists of an assortment of meats served along with different accompaniments ranging from hard, thin-sliced cuts of cheese to soft spreads.
Making a charcuterie board has no hard rules. No board is ever the same – which makes it more exciting and fun.
Preparing Your Charcuterie Board
How to put it all together?
Although freestyle works, starting with a theme will help you stay organized and choose what should go on your board. A charcuterie board is not just what you eat; it is also what people see and how the components are arranged. So you can now consider yourself a true charcuterie board artist!
From the definition itself, the element-on-spotlight here is the meat. Again, the key is variety, so you may serve something pre-sliced, something you slice, and even something spreadable such as thin cured meats, hard meats, and meat pâtés.
Although it is the main component, the need for meat may be less than you think. If you are entertaining a vegetarian crowd there are a multitude of items that can be used. We like to shop at our local Whole Foods to find some more exotic options.
When shopping for your charcuterie board don’t get carried away. Charcuterie is rich and flavorful, so a little goes a long way.
What Primo Oil products go well with charcuterie?
Since charcuterie boards are all about looking gorgeous and festive, you will want to consider different colors and textures. Adding a variety of cheese options and lots of fresh or preserved fruits and nuts are the secret to success. Along with it, picking your accents is just like getting dressed – the accessories often make the outfit.
Cheese. Choose a variety of hard and soft cheeses. Make sure it goes well with the meats you’ve chosen.
Bread or Crackers, (or both). Bread or crackers serve tiny plates to deliver flavorful elements to your mouth. Consider a mix of plain artisan bread and lightly toasted slices rubbed with olive oil and sliced garlic. We love to use our Garlic Olive Oil here. Plain bread and crackers can also suffice.
Fruits and garnish. Fill in the spaces on your charcuterie board with fruits, nuts, pickles, olives, and dips. More than just filling in and enhancing the beauty of your platter, these also refresh the palate taking on lots of salt, fat, and rich meaty flavors. Here are a few ideas to get started:
- Fruits: Grapes, apple, pear, berries (check out Primo’s Blackberry compote), and other dried fruits (e.g., Figs, dates, apricots, plums)
- Nuts: Walnuts, roasted almonds, candied nuts
- Pickles and olives: Primo’s Orange-stuffed Olives, Primo’s Pickled Beets or Asparagus, cucumber pickles or other vegetable pickles such as carrots, celery, bell pepper if you prefer a traditional Italian vibe
- Dips/spreads: Savannah Bee Company’s Lavender Honey (not to mention it is perfect for any cheese!), Primo’s Mango Lime Salsa, hummus, tapenade, white bean dip, whipped goat cheese
Pairing meats and cheeses with wine is always a good choice, although beer and cocktails are considerable too! For a little twist, Primo’s Orange-Stuffed olives not only embellish the board, but it can also make a good pairing with martinis.
To your health!
