FAQs
To follow the 3,3,3,3 rule, stick to three cheeses, three meats, three starches, and three accoutrements.
What is the secret to a great charcuterie board? ›
After all that meat and cheese, you're going to need something to balance those rich flavors. Cairo suggests accenting the board with acidic pickles, crunchy nuts, whole grain mustard (Maille is his favorite brand), tinned fish, and something sweet like quince jam or a drizzle of honey.
What are the rules for making a charcuterie board? ›
Arranging Your Board
- Pick a spot on the edge of the board. Place something there.
- Working clockwise, alternate placing meats and cheeses around the edges. Place as many or as few as you want.
- Fill in the gaps with your accompaniments.
- Fill in the center with more meat and cheese or accompaniments.
Here are the best cheeses for your charcuterie board
- Hard cheese: chunks of parmesan, aged gouda, asiago.
- Firm cheese: gruyere, comte, manchego, colby, cheddar.
- Semi-soft cheese: havarti, butterkäse, muenster.
- Soft cheese: burrata, mascarpone, stracchino.
- Blue cheese: gorgonzola, dunbarton blue, marbled blue jack.
Creating a Charcuterie Board
Line your board with parchment paper if the surface is not rated for food. Fabrics like napkins, tablecloths, and tea towels add a layer of interest. Create height with layering cuttings boards, dishes, platters, and bowls.
What are two main charcuterie items? ›
Charcuterie Board Ideas
Here are a few ideas to get you started: Cured meats: Prosciutto, genoa salami, chorizo, sopressata, ham, and cured sausages are all classic choices for a charcuterie board. Cheese: Choose a variety of textures and flavors. A few options are soft brie, burrata and camembert.
How unhealthy are charcuterie boards? ›
Many ingredients used in charcuterie boards are high in sodium, including deli meats, dry sausages, cheeses, salted nuts, pretzels and crackers. The recommendation for daily sodium intake for adults is 2,300 milligrams or less. To reduce the sodium load on your board, add more fresh or dried fruits and raw veggies.
What does not go on a charcuterie board? ›
What should you not put on a charcuterie board? You'll want to avoid overly juicy fruits whose juices will run across the board and turn your crackers and bread soggy. Skip fruits like watermelon, pineapple, and tomatoes and stick with grapes, berries, and apples or dried fruits.
What is the 3333 rule for charcuterie boards? ›
No matter the style of the wood charcuterie board, you can always follow the 3-3-3-3 rule. Every charcuterie board should have three meats, three cheeses, three starch options, and three accompaniments, such as fruit, nuts, or veggies.
What is the rule of three on a charcuterie board? ›
To make things easier, she generally recommends following the simple rule of three – three types of cheese, three types of meat, three types of crackers, and so forth. "A good rule of thumb is to work in threes," she said. "As long as you have three of anything on a board then I think it has enough variety."
Briny, pickled or marinated: olives, co*cktail onions, cornichons, dill pickles, pepperoncini. We love green olives stuffed with garlic or feta, and I also like including olive tapenade and bruschetta. Savory Dips and spreads: Whole ground mustard, hummus, ranch, balsamic dip. Veggies – cold cut, if desired.
What goes on a charcuterie board first? ›
Though there are many easy charcuterie board ideas out there, the process is somewhat formulaic. Start by adding structure with little dishes, then place your ingredients on the board starting with the largest elements like the cheeses and meats, followed by smaller items like crackers and fresh produce.
What is the ratio for a charcuterie board? ›
Gather your ingredients.
I've found the following ratio works great: 4 types of cheese, 4 types of meat, 3 types of bread/crackers, 1 type of chocolate, 2-3 different nuts, 1 jam, 1 honey, and 1-2 types of olives. Cornichons are a non-negotiable for me and I always have them on a charcuterie board!
