Charcuterie Recipe

Every charcuterie recipe needs cheese

Looking for a killer charcuterie recipe? Here's a little secret: the best charcuterie recipe doesn't start with meat, but with cheese. Sure, cured meats like salami, prosciutto or pepperoni are essential to a charcuterie recipe, but those slices of protein alone won't pack the ultimate flavor punch. What makes a charcuterie recipe work is the nutty, tangy goodness and the crumbly, creamy, crystalline textures of a knockout spread of cheeses. Because when you've got cheeses like cheddar, gorgonzola, and Swiss cheese together on one platter, well, that's when the flavor magic happens.

What makes a great charcuterie recipe?

There's no single charcuterie recipe for creating a tasty meat and cheese platter, but we can offer a few tips that will help you create a stunning board every time.

• Variety is the spice of every charcuterie recipe. From variety in your cuts of meat to a variety of textures in your cheese, be sure to give your guests a sensational mix of textures, tastes, and colors as well as the potential for interesting flavor combinations. For example, blue cheese paired with figs and honey or a smoky cheese with plum jam creates complex and pleasurable layers of flavor.
• Height adds to the aesthetic. Any great charcuterie recipe should include items that allow the board to have some height, creating a landscape of shapes and colors. A mound of grapes, a pile of cheese or a tall jar of jam at the center of the board will give it more texture.
• Choose the right amount of food. When your charcuterie recipe is intended as an appetizer, choosing two ounces of cheese and two ounces of meat per person is a good start. If your platter is meant to be the entire meal, then five ounces of each is about right.
• Give each cheese knife. To avoid mixing flavors, make sure each cheese has its own knife for cutting and spreading.
• Let the cheese warm up. Cheese is best served at room temperature, so build your platter or take it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving.
• Build your platter around the cheese and dips. Your cheeses, jams, and spreads will consume the most room on a charcuterie board, so lay those out first. Surround them with bread, crackers, and your meats, then fill in the gaps with all the other flavor accents like nuts, dried fruits, grapes, bits of chocolate, and roasted red peppers.

Cheese and charcuterie: a recipe for happiness

In Wisconsin, it's no surprise that every charcuterie recipe includes selections of Wisconsin cheese. That's not just playing hometown favorites. We simply know that Wisconsin is home to the tastiest, most award-winning, highest-quality cheese in the world – and who wouldn't want that on their meat and cheese platter?

See, Wisconsin is one of those places that does one thing better than anybody else – we make amazing cheese. That's why we've won more awards than any other state or country on earth. And it's why 90% of the milk from our famed dairyland goes to making cheese. So, when you want your guests to be wowed by your brilliance in building a beautiful meat and cheese board, be sure your charcuterie recipe starts with Wisconsin Cheese.