How to Make a Charcuterie Board

How do we say this charcuterie word??

Pronouned: shar-ku-ta-re

Thankfully, it sounds just like it looks!

What on earth is it??

Charcuterie is a French word meaning pork butcher's shop. According to Merriam Webster, it is a delicatessen (store selling cold cuts) specializing in dressed meats and meat dishes. If you haven't figured it out yet... It is basically meats!

How do I make my own charcuterie board?

There are many ways to make your own charcuterie board. The fun part is that there are no specific rules (Culinary students may say otherwise)! Whatever your occasion... Whatever your tastes... You can take creative license to make it as simple or as eccentric as you would like!

For those of you, such as myself, who would like some tips and guidelines, here you go! I hope you all find these helpful! I would love to see what beautiful boards you create!

Tips:

Start with a cheese board or whichever type of board or surface you have on hand. It doesn't have to be a cheese board! You could use a serving tray, a wood block, or even a lazy susan.
Start by picking out the cheeses that you want to serve first. Once you choose the types of cheese you are able to best choose which meats, nuts, fruits, and dips complimented each. This narrows down the options and helps you decide where to place the items on each board as well. Big time saver!
Choose different textures and sizes of cheese. Meaning, if your first choice is a soft cheese such as brie, make your next choice semi-firm such as aged cheddar. Or if you are slicing one cheese, maybe leave the other whole.
Add color with berries, dried fruits, or jams.
It doesn't have to be perfect! The beauty in a charcuterie board is in the overlapping and even overflowing of ingredients off of the board.