Charcuterie comes home for holiday entertaining
Growing up in the '70s, I remember that every party my parents hosted included a cheese and sausage tray. One of my early helper tasks involved slicing squares of Cracker Barrel cheddar and quartering slices of Oscar Mayer cotto salami and ham (the pressed stuff dotted with bits of cheese!) to plate alongside a sleeve of Ritz crackers.
Fast forward a few decades and for pre-Thanksgiving nibbles I found myself doing much the same thing, but now I assembled what's known as a charcuterie platter - and it's the hottest restaurant trend since roasted brussels sprouts.
"Charcuterie, in basic terms, is the craft of preserving meat ... salting, brining, curing," explains Wheeling native and Chicago meat guru Rob Leavitt of The Butcher and Larder.
Dried salami, liver terrine, prosciutto, chicken pate, duck confit ... all forms of charcuterie, he says.
So why has this centuries-old culinary art made it onto menus at restaurants across the suburbs and Chicago?
"My take on it is that at some point after 9-11 the dining scene shifted, and I was a young chef in New York then," Leavitt says. "From opulence and extravagant dining to more interest in how to have a good time. Menus shifted to become more casual, more about the dining experience."
And chefs started serving diners what they were cooking up for themselves and their staffs back in the kitchen.
Instead of tossing trimmings from portions served to customers, they started using them in sausages, pates and the like.
"It is also considered sustainable by way of nose-to-tail utilization, which is extremely on trend with chefs, foodies and the culinary curious," says Tom McGinty, manager of food and beverage operations at The Wisconsin Room at Wisconsin's Destination Kohler. The restaurant's charcuterie plate features house-made jagerwurst along with other locally made sausages and cheeses.
Chef John Coletta at Quartino Ristorante, a popular Chicago wine-centric eatery, says the availability of ingredients and changing public perceptions of meat have elevated charcuterie's status in the culinary world.
"The raw materials we can start with today have never been higher; cheeses are made with hormone-free milk. We can give a superior experience," Coletta says.
Meat grinders have been commonplace in commercial kitchens, but some artisans, like those at Quartino, are bringing back Old World knife skills to hand craft charcuterie. "Before butchers had a meat gridder or electricity, they had a knife and a cutting board," he said.
So how does that translate to holiday entertaining? Very easily, actually.
Sure you could grind and serve your own cured sausages, though for most recipes you would have had to start that process weeks ago. Instead head to your local butcher or delicatessen and select a trio of meat options and, if you want, another trio of cheeses. Even Omaha Steaks, with outlets around the suburbs, is featuring sausages this season.
"You want the platter to be well-rounded," Coletta says. "The three things can't all be pork. Pick pork, fowl and game products ... a soft, creamy mousse, then work toward a game salami and a softer prosciutto."
Adds McGinty, "I recommend serving a variety of cooked sausages, pates and dry cured meats highlighting different flavors and textures with simple garnishes presented on a natural wood platter."
Coletta suggests simple garnishes like seasonal breakfast radishes, fennel slices or shaved celery heart to cut the saltiness of the meat.
"I usually place the platter on top of a large piece of dark paper and identify the charcuterie items with chalk and an arrow. This helps my guests have an idea of what they are eating and is also a great conversation starter," he says. "The options are so broad it's fun to prepare a charcuterie platter that highlights the traditional offerings from a specific country or region (think: Italy, France, Spain, Germany)."
If you have many people attending a holiday cocktail party where a full meal will not be served, consider setting up two or three different charcuterie boards in different rooms of the house. This will also encourage mingling.
"We all have hectic lives, it's tough not to find the time to do this," Coletta says. "With some wine, bread and cheese, charcuterie becomes a meal. That's the holiday spirit."