How To Perfectly Pair Chocolate, Cheese, And Meat On A Charcuterie Board

Madalyn Mackarey
·3-min read
charcuterie board with chocolate, cheese, meat, fruits
charcuterie board with chocolate, cheese, meat, fruits - Carey Jaman/Shutterstock

An exciting, delectable charcuterie board isn't just one that's visually appealing. You want to incorporate depths of complementary and contrasting flavors and textures, leaving eaters with something thrilling in every bite. But if you're new to charcuterie boards, finding the right cheeses can be intimidating enough. And the more elements you add, the smarter you have to get with your pairings.

Luckily, Daily Meal spoke with expert Matthew Rose, ACS CCP, CCSE, Partner at Fairfield and Greenwich Cheese Company, to learn the unique ways to pair usual charcuterie suspects like cheese and cured meats with chocolate, one ingredient you may not have thought to add to your charcuterie board. But Rose doesn't think adding meat is always necessary. "I think there definitely is a possibility of having some success pairing chocolate and cured meats ..." he said. "... A good, high-quality bar chocolate has plenty of complexity, and it would be more satisfying to focus on just the cheese and the chocolate." If you can't fathom a charcuterie board without cured meats, follow some of Rose's suggestions to find success.

Read more: 8 Chocolate Bars That Are Totally Different Outside The US

The Best Meats For A Chocolate And Cheese Charcuterie Board

chocolate and cured meats on charcuterie board, bread
chocolate and cured meats on charcuterie board, bread - Tomas Zhao do Amaral/Shutterstock

"For me personally, I love to pair Speck, which is like a prosciutto but it is cold-smoked, so it has the added flavor of the smokiness that I think works really well with chocolate," Matthew Rose divulged. Prosciutto is already one of the best types of meat to use for a charcuterie board, so if you're already familiar with the salty, creamy ham, Speck is not too far off. As Rose mentions, the distinct smokiness is what sets Speck apart. More bitter chocolate seems like a strong match for the smokiness of Speck, playing off of your bite of chocolate with a dense, savory flavor.

"Italian Bresaola, an air-cured beef round that is washed with various herbs and spices and wine, could also lend itself to pairing with chocolate and cheese," Rose shared. Instead of using cured pork, a commonly used charcuterie meat, Rose advises cured beef. While Bresaola may be a less familiar cured meat, don't underestimate its powerful flavors, especially with the addition of spices and herbs that can act as a flavor bridge between your meat, chocolate, and cheese. The deeper savoriness of this cured beef can be more impactful when paired with bold chocolate than a smooth, fatty, cured pork like prosciutto could ever be.

The Interplay Between Chocolate And Other Charcuterie Board Ingredients

whole and broken chocolate bars
whole and broken chocolate bars - Natalia Marna/Getty Images

When making a charcuterie board, it's best to organize your ingredients first so you can visualize how you should construct the board and put everything together. However, you also need to consider the many ways eaters will enjoy each ingredient together. Matthew Rose specifically considers chocolate to play an important role. "The chocolate can have an interesting interplay with the other elements on the board ... sometimes the acidity and the texture of a good quality chocolate bar can function nicely as a palette cleanser in between nibbles of lots of other foods," he advised.

Perhaps making chocolate the accessory of your board, scattered in the empty spaces, is the best way to encourage guests to enjoy it as a small bite in between the main event of the board: The cheese and meat. Make sure your cheeses and meats match the same intensity of your chocolate, especially if you're featuring a unique, high-quality chocolate bar. This helps ensure no flavors get lost, guaranteeing boldness in every bite.

Read the original article on The Daily Meal.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • People Are Sharing "Add-In" Ingredients That Make A World Of Difference In Their Cooking

    "People who eat your food will think, 'There's something in here that's special, but I can't put my finger on what it is.'"

  • 'I just can't stop eating bread to be honest...' Discover what the world's biggest stars have on their plate

    There are some days when nothing else will do other than your absolutely favourite meal. Whether that is something super comforting or an umami flavour bomb, you just have to have it on your plate. Read on to discover the go-to dishes of some of the world's biggest stars... There are some days when nothing else will do other than your absolutely favourite meal.

  • Glastonbury 2024 drink prices revealed: beer, wine, spirits and more

    A price list from one of the bars at Glastonbury Festival gives an indication of how much drinks will cost around the site

  • This Innovative Tequila Brand Just Dropped an Unusually Aged Single-Barrel Cristalino

    This is an unusual style in the world of tequila.

  • The Fridge Mistake You Need To Stop Making With Your Cheese

    From charcuterie boards to late-night cracker stacks, we'd be quite sad without cheese. However, there's a common mistake when it comes to refrigerating it.

  • Make Bacon Cheeseburgers Even Better With One Simple Step

    Bacon cheeseburgers are quite possibly the pinnacle of human achievement. Or so we thought, until we learned a simple way to up the umami even more.

  • Poundland launches 'Britain's cheapest meal deal', it's amazing what you get for £3

    The retailer has gone head-to-head with the likes of Tesco, Boots and M&S

  • These Are Some Of The Least Nutritious Canned Beans You Can Buy

    While they might make for a tasty side dish, this one kind of canned beans isn't the healthiest addition to your dinner table. Here's what you should know.

  • Pay Close Attention To Color To Choose The Absolute Best Cucumber

    When picking fresh cucumbers at the grocery store, there are several elements to keep an eye out for - including color. Use this tip the next time you shop.

  • 15 Baked Salmon Recipes For Easy Weeknight Dinners

    Of all the ways to prepare salmon, nothing beats the back-to-basics approach of baking. These recipes take the the popular fish to new heights of flavor.

  • 12 Mistakes Everyone Makes With Canned Spinach

    Canned spinach can be boring, or even ruin a dish ... but if you avoid these mistakes, it can be a great ingredient to boost many meals with nutritious gusto.

  • We Tasted Starbucks' New Menu Items And This Was The Best One

    Starbucks has a range of sunny new offerings for the summer months, both to eat and drink. We got a sneak preview, and here's our review of which are best.

  • The Chef-Approved Beef Cuts To Consider For Tender Osso Buco

    We talked to an osso buco expert to find out the definitive cut of meat to use in the Italian dish, but also asked which are the best substitutes in a pinch.

  • LongHorn Steakhouse Vs Black Angus: Which Is Better?

    We compared LongHorn Steakhouse and Black Angus Steakhouse, chains with many of the traditional trappings of a good steak place. See which one came out on top.

  • The Absolute Best Cut Of Meat For Making Italian Beef Brasato

    Some of the best types of meat for braising are tough cuts that become tender during the slow-cooking process, as with this rich Italian dish.

  • 31 incredibly easy dishes – no recipe required

    From traybakes to soothing soups, substantial salads and sophisticated-looking desserts, these easy dishes can all be whipped up without a recipe.

  • The Seasoned Mayo That Makes An Easy Sauce For Fried Fish

    Fried fish is always better with sauce, and fortunately, there are some ways to spice it up. Considering adding this seasoned mayo to your next fish and chips.

  • Winston Churchill's Favorite English Dish Is A True Classic

    From champagne to Stilton cheese, Winston Churchill appreciated the finer things in life. But his favorite dish was a true English classic through and through.

  • Half of Brits admit binning food in secret from partners as households waste up to £500 a year

    The average British household squanders up to £480 a year on fresh food that goes off quicker than anticipated. Salad, bread, and fruit are the most common culprits in our shopping baskets and often find themselves in the bin. Research showed that three in five people (72 per cent) are left feeling guilty when food goes past its best, with nearly half (44 per cent) of those spoken to admitting they even hide sell-by dates and expired food from their partner. Conscious of waste, a surprising 1 in 3 Brits (34 per cent) admit they will regularly turn down dates with friends because they're worried about their food going off at home. This has sparked major FOGO (Fear Of Going Off), with more than half (59 per cent) of Brits admitting to worrying about their food going off every week, according to a new study by Ocado, which spoke to 2,000 adults. The online supermarket has a Fresh+ Promise that ensures customers' food is as fresh as it can be, offering a refund if customers aren't happy. To reassure Brits about the shelf-life of their food and help combat FOGO, Ocado has teamed up with Instagram chef Alfie Steiner, @alfiecooks, who said, "Nothing compares to fresh produce. And it's not only about the great taste, it's knowing you can rest easy and enjoy planning how to cook with it, because your food isn't rapidly wilting away. "FOGO is real, and according to Ocado's research, many of us experience it. I want to help people fight the fear, so they can experience all the joy of super fresh produce, without the worry that they're cooking against the clock." Frustration over expiration dates is helping to fuel FOGO, with over half of Brits (64%) saying they are often disappointed with how long their fresh food lasts. What's more, over a third of Brits (36%) say they have to make return visits to the shops due to their produce going off quicker than expected, with the most common culprits being salad leaves (43%), bread (34%) and soft fruits (33%). Laura Harricks at Ocado added, ''We know how frustrating it can be when food goes off before you were expecting; it can throw meal plans out the window and as this study reveals, social plans and money too! We want to help the nation fight against FOGO and, with the Ocado Fresh+ Promise, give people peace of mind, so they can spend a little less time worrying about the food in their fridge and more time enjoying it." Ocado's Fresh+ Promise ensures customers' food is delivered straight to the door with no supermarket detour. That means food arrives as fresh as they'd expect, and then some. And that goes for fruit and veg, as much as bread and milk, helping plan ahead for next week's lunches. And as a promise is a promise, if customers still aren't 100% happy, they can sort a no-quibbles refund via the Ocado app.

  • 14 Of The Unhealthiest Store-Bought Cottage Cheese

    After researching the sodium levels, added sugar, and unnecessary added ingredients, we found that these cottage cheese brands are some of the unhealthiest.