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December 01, 2022 6 min read
Cured and deli meat are an essential part of the charcuterie board. The tangy, salty flavor melts in the mouth with different cheeses and dips. But having a piece of meat on the Charcuterie board is not easy. We all know charcuterie boards are all about style and elegance so how to present a slice of meat that is aesthetically appealing and easy to eat? You can't just place layers of meat on board to consume.
This is where meat flowers are gaining popularity. The meat roses, fans, and ribbons give a whole new look to your Charcuterie. No matter how complicated they seem, the truth is that these meat roses and other flowers are easy to make. With practice and technique, you can fold the meat slices into something different and beautiful.
Let's hop on to explain what type of meat goes well on Charcuterie before we guide you on how to fold a slice of meat and make beautiful flowers.
A charcuterie board is an excellent way to serve appetizers to your guests in a very low-maintenance way. Assembly of charcuterie boards is nothing less than an art.
Though the word Charcuterie refers to French meat, that should not restrict your choice of meat. You can place any meat slices on the board. Generally, we have cured meat slices, smoked or even sausages, or ready cooked meat assembled with other delicacies on a charcuterie board.
However, the most common are the slices of cured meat available from any superstore. The thinly sliced meat layer is perfect for presenting in different ways. So you can have a row of meat, make some flowers, or assemble the slices into interesting ways.
The choice of meat is very important here as it can make all the difference in presentation, taste, and texture. So you can choose Salami, Prosciutto, Mortadella, or Pepperoni, or any deli meats.
Each one has its own merits. The choice may also depend on the preference of taste, availability, or price.
Let's discuss how you can fold the meat slices for the best effects on your Charcuterie:
photo credit: Hilda's Kitchen Blog
Meat roses are the most fun to have on Charcuterie. They are not very difficult to make, and you can use any slice of meat to make different types of meat roses or rosettes.
Any deli or cured meat slices can be used to make these beautiful roses. The method of making these roses remains the same. We already have mentioned how to make roses with Prosciutto and Salami, so we are choosing Pepperoni for this post, but you can use any slice of cured meat and the same method. Fold the slice of Pepperoni
All you need is a wine glass and Pepperoni pieces. (you can use any deli meat like ham, mortadella, or pastrami as long as it is thin).
Besides roses, Here are some other ways to fold different flavors of meat:
Don't want to go through the process of making meat roses with a wine glass? Take a thin slice of cured meat like prosciutto salami and roll it up in a cylindrical shape. You can make small rosettes with it as well. You can spread them as circles of meat or make a wheel around the cheese to look beautiful.
Again use any slices of meat and fold them like a taco shell. You can now arrange them in rows or fan out from a corner.
for very thin slices, fold the whole slice and let it fall back and forth on the board. Keep adding slices the same way so you have a pile of folded layers of meat arranged on the side or around a champagne flute. A tip is to cut the meat slices in half. You can have more servings as each guest will pick up one at a time.
Having the popular meat roses on your Charcuterie seems too tempting. Still, we recommend using a few roses on the cheese board. You can use other folding methods like rolls, small triangles, fans, and taco shapes to line up a mixture of meat snack pieces on your cheese board. Here is why:
All these options of meat slices look good, but what if you are a vegan? Sure, you can have a personalized cheese board and use an assortment of nuts, fruits, and vegetables on the board. Instead of meat, you can use a snack board. Here is our post on a meatless charcuterie board.
It largely depends on the meat you are serving, but a cheesy dip goes very well with cured meat. You can make one by adding milk to goat cheese, melting it, and making a thick creamy paste. Now you can add anything from mustard to chopped chives or herbs.
You can serve some sweet and savory dips like an onion jam, tamarind chutney, or a salsa. Garlic dill and mustard sauce goes very well with slices of meat. A perfect board blends all types of flavors.
As we said, a perfect charcuterie combines tastes and textures. Cheese and cured meat go very well together. So cheese is the most important element on the Charcuterie board. Here is our post on what type of cheese you can serve on Charcuterie.
Use different types of textures. Like soft cheese, delicate meat flowers, and hard breadsticks or crackers. Dips and chutneys, and sauces should have their place as well. Don't forget to add serving knives and spreaders to help guests. Read the complete article charcuterie board for 50 people.
Whether you are setting a small or big charcuterie board, it should look elegant, serve a variety of options for your guests, and food should look appealing and have bite-size size. It needs little aesthetics to make everything on your board stand out.
Don't overcrowd food. Use a combination of sweet and savory, and provide plenty of interesting spreads, candied nuts, and dips. Ultimately, it is all about showing off aesthetics and winning some looks of admiration from your guests.
How to Cut Cheese for Charcuterie Board
How to Fold Prosciutto for Charcuterie board
How to Make a Meat Flower from Salami for your Charcuterie
Meatless Charcuterie Board Ideas
Butter Board - the New Charcuterie that is taking over TikTok
Choosing the Best Board / Serving Platter for Charcuterie
5 Best Crackers for Charcuterie
Dips, Spreads, and Sauces for Charcuterie
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