Charcuterie boards have been the rage for quite some time now, and don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Why not change it up and try a Mexican charcuterie board next time, the same concept but with so many new ingredients to choose from. Don’t be overwhelmed, we are going to walk you through how to make a Mexican charcuterie board that will wow you and your guests!
Ingredients For Your Mexican Charcuterie Board
There are so many options when creating your Mexican charcuterie board! Think of it in the following sections-sweet, savory, cheese, meats, starch, and fats. This way you won’t get overwhelmed and can figure out what you want/need from each section to create the Mexican charcuterie board of your dreams. A good charcuterie board is a work of art and there should not be any boundaries, if you want an ingredient and think it will go well, then add it! This is your charcuterie board to create and have fun with.
Here is a comprehensive list for your Mexican charcuterie board, you definitely do not need all of these. However a few from each section would be ideal!
Cheeses
- Honey Chevre Manchego
- Queso fresco
- Queso añejo
- Queso de Oaxaca
- Panela
- Crema
- Chihuahua cheese
- Pepper Jack
- Chipotle Cheddar
Meats
- Jamón
- Chorizo
- Salchichón
- Lomo
- Sobrassada
- Morcilla
- Cecina
- Botifarra
- Chistorra
- Fuet
- Crab
- Sardines
- Sliced Sausage
Sweets
- Dates
- Graham crackers
- Sweet potato crackers
- Fruits-Grapes, Pineapple, Mango, Starfruit
- Guava Paste
- Dried Fruits-Apricots, Raisins, apples
- Honeycomb
Savory
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Pickled Carrots
- Tomatoes
- Sliced Radish
- Jicama sticks
- Cucumber slices
Dips
- Guacamole
- Bean Dip
- Queso
- Corn Salsa
- Salsa
Starches
- Crackers
- Tortilla Chips
- Corn Chips
- Sliced Bread
Fats
- Various Olives
- Nuts
- Avocado Slices Sprinkled with Salt
Depending on your taste preference, guests, and time of year, you can make your Mexican charcuterie board as in-depth or minimal as you want. Ideally, it is good to start with 2-3 items from each category and go from there. You will want to pair things that go together and avoid too many sweet, spicy or rich flavors. Read on for more suggestions, tips, and ideas to create the best Mexican charcuterie board!
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What to Keep in Mind When putting Together a Mexican Charcuterie Board
Depending on how many people you are designing your Mexican charcuterie board for will depend on how much of everything you will want to get. If it is just for a few of you, then you probably won’t need to get more than two or three items from the meat and cheese section, plus one or two from the remaining categories. Assume everyone will consume about 1/4 lb of food and, have more of the more popular items and less of the items that are on the spicier or on the adventurous side.
As you are selecting your meats and cheeses make sure you don’t have all spicy meats or just hard cheeses. You will want to make sure you have a couple of spicy, mellow meats, and throw in an unexpected one such as crab or smoked fish for fun. The same goes for cheeses, you will want to make sure you have cheeses that pair well with the meats you selected. A soft and mild cheese to go with the spicy meats, and hard, sharp cheeses to each with the mild meats or fruits.
Lastly, you want to make it as colorful as possible! It is very easy to have a charcuterie board that is color chromatic and that can look a bit boring and uninviting. Brighten it up with some purple cauliflower, seasonal fruit, bright fresh carrots, pickled beets, or even throw on some freshly picked flowers. The colors not only make it more appealing to your guests, but it will also add a little something to your get-together. You can also label the items on your Mexican charcuterie board so everyone knows what is what.
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How to Assemble a Mexican Charcuterie Board
Presentation is key when assembling your Mexican charcuterie board, if you have a nice platter, serving board, or even a tray to lay out all of your selections, it is best to start there. Begin by taking all of your carefully selected ingredients and placing them on the counter to see which are your biggest items. If you have dips, start there, place your dips in fun containers either in the middle of the tray or equally spread out.
Then add your largest items alternating in variety-meat, cheese, veggie, fruit, etc., and repeat. Place the items that go well with each other side by side-for example the mild cheese aside spicy chorizo and the sharp manchego by the sweet apricots. Make sure everything is cut or present in a way that is easy to grab for guests-for example. Cut the jicama in sticks, slice the cucumber on a diagonal for better presentation and easier to grab. Use toothpicks for the cubes of cheese or olives and use small tongs for dried fruit, slices of meat, and spoons for dips.
You can either display everything neatly on a serving tray, cutting board (just make sure your cutting board is in good shape) or you can lay some parchment paper down directly on your counter and place your Mexican charcuterie board on that. No matter what you use to present your charcuterie board, have fun and play around with small bowls, serving utensils, don’t think of it as trying to be perfect, it is a work of art. Throw in a few fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs and add in a bright red rose from your garden for a pop!
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The best part of a Mexican charcuterie board is that you can make it at any time for any type of occasion. From a holiday party to your monthly book club meeting or your famous super bowl gathering. Or even just on a weekend when you want to have a little nosh before your meal with your loved ones. When making your Mexican charcuterie board, have fun! If you want to put something on your board, that may not go as well as you think, try it anyway and see if it does. Have fun and be creative, you might be surprised at a new combination that you come up with!
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