The 3-3-3-3 Rule for Charcuterie Boards | Brattleboro Food Co-op (2024)

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The 3-3-3-3 Rule for Charcuterie Boards | Brattleboro Food Co-op? ›

When making a charcuterie board, try following the 3-3-3-3 rule: 3 meats. 3 cheeses. 3 starches.

What is the 3-3-3-3 Rule for Charcuterie Boards? No matter the style of the wood charcuterie board, you can always follow the 3-3-3-3 rule. Every charcuterie board should have three meats, three cheeses, three starch options, and three accompaniments, such as fruit, nuts, or veggies.

The flavors can be paired with the cheeses or chosen for their unique qualities, but always aim to have something spicy, something smoky, and something unexpected. Rule of thumb: 1 small salami, 1 large salami, 1 whole-muscle meat. "When choosing meats and cheeses, variety is the spice of life," Sam advises.

3 Starches: we like Taralli (a traditional Italian cracker almost like a small, circular breadstick), Artisan Crisps by Rustic Bakery, and baguettes from Gilles Baguettes. 3 Accompaniments: Cerignola olives, Marcona almonds, French cornichons.

Here's some of the best cheese for charcuterie boards: Hard cheese: chunks of parmesan, aged gouda, asiago. Firm cheese: gruyere, comte, manchego, colby, cheddar. Semi-soft cheese: havarti, butterkäse, muenster.

I usually plan on 1 to 2 ounces each of meat and cheese per person. If the Charcuterie Board is standing alone as the main event, I am more generous and estimate 4 ounces of meat and cheese per person.

I've found the following ratio works great: 4 types of cheese, 4 types of meat, 3 types of bread/crackers, 1 type of chocolate, 2-3 different nuts, 1 jam, 1 honey, and 1-2 types of olives. Cornichons are a non-negotiable for me and I always have them on a charcuterie board!

To make things easier, she generally recommends following the simple rule of three – three types of cheese, three types of meat, three types of crackers, and so forth. "A good rule of thumb is to work in threes," she said. "As long as you have three of anything on a board then I think it has enough variety."

Start by adding structure with little dishes, then place your ingredients on the board starting with the largest elements like the cheeses and meats, followed by smaller items like crackers and fresh produce.

Softer cheeses like bloomies, washed rinds, and fresh varieties like mozzarella or chevre should be cut shortly before serving—or, if possible, served whole on the board for guests to cut into along with the appropriate cheese knives for each style.

How unhealthy are charcuterie boards? ›

Many ingredients used in charcuterie boards are high in sodium, including deli meats, dry sausages, cheeses, salted nuts, pretzels and crackers. The recommendation for daily sodium intake for adults is 2,300 milligrams or less. To reduce the sodium load on your board, add more fresh or dried fruits and raw veggies.

Plan for about 1-2 ounces of meat per person. At the deli counter, ask for your meat selections to be sliced thin (at a 1-2 thickness) so they're easy to layer. Now it's time to pair your dry sausage selections with complimentary cheeses.