How to create the Ultimate Charcuterie Board

Creating a Fabulous Charcuterie Board– by Tommy Cooper

Living in a world of COVID has me dreaming of the days of having Sunday brunch with my closest friends (Sunday Funday), hanging out at the local bar (ICONIC Bulldogs), traveling across the seas, but most of all, I miss hosting get-togethers and cooking. From brainstorming ideas of what to cook, laboring over every minuscule detail, to the invite list. The invite list can be tricky when it comes to the inner workings of the gay culture of who don’t like who or what circles don’t mix well. I love a good mix of the popular gays, academic gays, muscle gays, leather gays, and everything in between. Most of my circle consists of college buddies (HBCU’s finest), society scholars, and old club heads (Traxx on Lucky/Marietta Street, you old Atlanta if you remember).

Anywho, back to hosting and cooking. One easy but visually appealing food displays is the infamous charcuterie board. Sure, you can go to the store and grab a veggie tray for $11 dollars at the local grocery store, but where is the fun in that. To gain oooooohhhhhsssss, awweeess, and inquire about how you made such a beautiful charcuterie tray, you must put in some work. I love being the hostees with a good spread (eagle, just playing)!! The basics will be finding your favorite wooden tray; either round, square, rectangle depends on how adventurous you want to be. My go-to is a large round charcuterie tray, found on the Pier One website. You have to start with various cured meats, veggies, fruits, crackers, nuts, jams, and olives (kalamata is my favorite).

What is and why should I buy a charcuterie board?

Before we start delving into what goes on a charcuterie board, we must understand what the heck is a charcuterie board. Basically, it is a wooden board or slate that holds meats, cheeses, and other delectable items. To be more formal- Charcuterie (pronounced “shahr-ku-tuh-ree”) is the art of preparing and assembling cured meats and other meat products. I fell in love with creating a charcuterie board because it can hold foods for everyone. I never wanted to leave anyone out, and it is a conversation starter.

Since my first charcuterie board, my guests were amazed at how much food was on the board, and I introduced new meats and cheeses that they were too afraid to try on their own. At every event/party, I am asked if I am going to make a charcuterie board. My reply: of course, I will (In my most resonant southern accent).

Variety is the spice of life:

Variety! Variety! Variety! Let’s start with selecting the meats. You can go to your local deli and get slices of Boars Head meat. Or If you are on a budget, you can go to the grocery store and pick up lunch meats like Hillshire Farms, Oscar Myer, Land O’ Frost, or a Grocery Store Brand. I found some terrific deals when I went to the deli department.

For a small tray, pick 3 to 4 meats.

• Roasted Turkey Breast (Oscar Myer)
• Honey Smoked Turkey Breast (Oscar Myer)
• Uncured Black Forest Ham (Simple Truth Organic)
• Salume Sub Trio- Hamcola, Genoa Salami, Sandwich Pepperoni (Private Selection, trio pack)

Cheese- Who doesn’t like fine cheese?

Over the years, I have tried almost all of the cheese from burrata to regular blue cheese. The most popular cheese that I serve is Smoke Guoda. The second favorite is cheddar, yea I know, simple and found everywhere. It is a classic, and you can’t go wrong.

Spice up your cheese options, try:

• Say Cheese (Black Owned Cheese Company)
• Halloumi
• Roquefort
• Piave

Or keep it simple:

• Smoked Gouda
• Mozzarella
• Swiss
• Cheddar

Add Texture with Crackers and Bread (choose 2 or 3):

• Carr’s Table Water Crackers
• Triscuit origina or cracker black pepper
• Breton Original
• Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Sea Salt (GF)
• Sliced Garlic Bread or even southern sweet cornbread

Nuts ( choose 1 to 2): Place in small bowls, in case a guest has a nut allergy.

• Peanuts
• Cashews
• Almonds
• Chestnuts

Jams (choose 1 or 2): make sure the jam is complimentary of your cracker or bread selection.

• Trade Street Jam Company (Black Owned)
• Cocktail Jam Sampler
• Any Smuckers Mosaics

Fruits (choose 1 or 2):

• Dried Cranberries
• Strawberries
• Grapes
• Dates

Assembling the Board

We have gone through what could go on the charcuterie board; now, it is time to assemble. Grab your favorite crystal or colorful bowls to give more dimension. Sometimes, I add a lazy susan in the middle to bring up the fancy. I usually start with the meat in the center: turkey or ham depending on your preference. Then I work my way out, adding layers of texture, color, and dimension. Ensure you don’t have all of one item together; it is best to incorporate crackers, fruit, and bowls together. This method divides the board evenly and will be visually appealing.

Take a step back and reorganize, if needed. Your goal is to be as creative as possible. Remember Variety, Dimension, and Color!!

It would help if you paired your charcuterie board with wine or champagne. Be sure you support black-owned wine companies. If you found any Black LGBTQ wine companies, we are in search of spotlighting their companies.

1. Bodkin Wines
2. Maison Noir Wines
3. Longevity Wines

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