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A charcuterie board is always a crowd-pleaser. There’s no cooking, you can use lots of pantry staples and very little effort is required – plus you know there’ll always be something on offer to tempt even the fussiest of eaters.
Because a charcuterie board is easy to prepare, looks amazing and offers something tasty that everyone can enjoy, it’s become a universally popular way of serving appetisers. Presentation is important though, and while some people relish the thought of creating an edible masterpiece, others may feel a bit daunted by the challenge.
That’s why we’ve put together this guide on how to create mouth-watering and stylish charcuterie boards that are guaranteed to impress even the harshest critics. All you need is a bit of imagination and a sense of fun. Oh and you’ll need a wooden serving or cutting board as a canvas for your work of art of course!
Did you know that the word ‘charcuterie’ comes from the French term for cooked meats? And while the term traditionally referred to preserved pork, it now commonly describes an assortment of cured meats, cheeses and other ingredients on a board or platter.
Garden gurus tell us that in order to create an eye-catching container display, there needs to be a combination of thrillers, spillers and fillers. Well, that same landscaping principle can be applied to creating a fabulous jerky charcuterie board. In other words, your arrangement should include an assortment of different snackables that add height, visual interest, texture and colour to the overall layout.
In this article, we’ll show you how to feature everyone’s favourite dried meat snack – beef jerky – on a charcuterie board and also give you some advice on food pairings.
The other important thing to remember is that there’s no right or wrong when it comes to your board. It can be as individual as you are. You also don’t need expensive gourmet items either. Even the simplest foods can be stylishly arranged as thrillers, spillers and fillers to create a board that looks as good as it tastes.
A good place to begin is with a focal point on your board (the thriller).
This could be a large cheese (eg a wheel of brie or camembert), a container holding bread sticks, twiggy sticks, jerky pieces, carrot or celery sticks or mini fruit kebabs or an eye-catching arrangement of cold meats. Places like Instagram and Pinterest have a wealth of examples if you need some inspiration – it’s really quite remarkable to see what can be done with a few humble slices of salami!
You can then add different finger foods around your board (the spillers) such as pepperoni slices, ham or prosciutto which has been rolled or scrunched up, beef jerky, dried fruit, sliced fresh fruit, grapes, biltong, different types of cheese, various crackers, small containers with dips, olives, marinated feta, sliced or diced chorizo etc. You may also want to include a pate or mousse of some sort on your board.
For larger boards, you could consider three or more types of cheese including a soft cheese (brie, camembert), a blue cheese, a more mainstream semi firm cheese (eg cheddar, manchego, havarti) and even a ‘novelty’ cheese like a flavoured cream cheese. And when it comes to crackers, it’s good to combine some different options eg mild water biscuits or wafers with more robustly flavoured or chunky seeded crackers.
The final step is to fill in the gaps with smaller things like almonds, sultanas, blueberries, cherry tomatoes, dried cranberries, pretzels – and don’t be scared to mix sweet and savoury. If you want to get a bit fancy with your fillers, consider things like roasted chickpeas, salted fava beans, filled dates, chunks of nougat, chocolate covered nuts etc.
You really just want the overall effect to be irresistibly sumptuous with lots of different textures, tastes and shapes on the board. It also has to be practical. Think bite-sized finger foods and corn chips or vegetable crudites placed near dips for ease of ‘digging in’. Think pitted olives (no awkward pips to get rid of), small clusters of seedless grapes, cheese or pate knives within easy reach and serviettes on the side.
Also consider styling your foods in different ways to create interest. Crackers can be stacked on top of one another in one area and fanned out in another. Strawberries can be sliced in rounds as opposed to the traditional lengthways. A kiwi fruit can be halved with a zig zag pattern cut into it.
Let’s take a look at some great food pairings for a mouthwatering jerky charcuterie board. And remember, it doesn’t need to be fancy or pricey to be delectable! (Check out our jerky and biltong packs which start at around $10).
Some of our favourite combinations are:
Jerky is a versatile and popular addition on any charcuterie or cheese board and its crunchy, chewy, flavourful munchiness has made it a universal favourite. The practicality of jerky and biltong is another reason why they make such great charcuterie companions. They’re mess-free and easy to eat and you can quickly top up any gaps in your board with another handful of these meaty treats!
To get your hands on the best jerky and biltong in Australia, simply head to the DJays Gourmet website and order online. We use only the finest 100% Aussie beef to make our jerky and biltong and there are five great flavours to choose from – plus we offer express door-to-door delivery countrywide, so you can have your charcuterie board (and eat it) in a flash!
Arron Zamel has been General Manager of DJays Gourmet since 2015 and under his expert leadership, the company has cemented its reputation as Australia’s leading supplier of packaged jerky and biltong.
His strong family connection to South Africa, his marketing and management degree from Monash University, his technical expertise plus his experience as a successful entrepreneur and import/export business owner made him the ideal candidate for the challenging position.
Additionally, Arron’s innovative approach to management, his proven brand-building credentials, his strong customer focus and youthful energy have ensured that DJays Gourmet’s high-quality biltong and jerky have become Australia's dried meat treats of choice.
He understands traditional South African flavours and the precision techniques required to create truly authentic biltong, jerky and droewors (dried sausage). Part of his job is overseeing operations at DJays' purpose-built facility in Perth, WA where tons of Australian beef goes into making premium dried meat products each month for distribution to retail and wholesale customers across Australia.
For more insights into Arron’s world, visit the DJays Gourmet website, check out their Facebook page or follow them on Instagram @djaysgourmet.
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