Building the Perfect Charcuterie Board

 From the French chair (“flesh”) and cuit (“cooked”), and pronounced “shar-koo-tuh-ree,” charcuterie describes a wide range of cured meats, from hard, thin-sliced cuts to soft spreads. In France, the word also describes the shop that sells them. Charcuterie can serve as a starter course for a formal occasion, or it can spotlight as the light-meal centerpiece at a casual gathering.

The wonderful thing about a charcuterie board is its versatility. You can mix and match flavors and textures. You can focus on a particular style or region. You can leave some items off the menu altogether. For instance, you could nix bread or crackers from a gluten-free board, or substitute fig salami for Italian salami and hummus for pâté on a vegetarian board. Or double-down on variations of a group favorite.

Below please find our guide to building the perfectly balanced charcuterie board. You can find all of these ingredients (and MORE!) at the Drunken Onion.