Steak Charcuterie – elevate your next social
Summer has now arrived and many of us have started to grill outdoors at least once a week. So what better way to bring in the summer than to cook our favorite cuts of meat and invite our friends and family over for some casual dining.
Since we are a family of meat-lovers, I thought of taking the charcuterie experience to the next level. Charcuterie has always been the ideal canvas to serve up everyone’s favorite meat & cheese snacks together. So, why not serve up your favorite steak in a casual charcuterie setting?
A beautifully cut, flavorful piece of steak will elevate any charcuterie board from a typical party platter into an upscale dining experience – guaranteed to be the star of your next cocktail party.
How to make a Steak Charcuterie Board
The key to an epic board is picking quality steaks, cheeses and the fun extras. The more quality you have the more epic your board will be!
Cooking your Steak for Charcuterie
- Firstly select your ideal cut of Steak. We recommend a Rib-eye or Tomahawk steak if you have the room to display the full cut of meat along with the bone. However, if you are looking for a smaller cut, we suggest a Sirloin. This cut is not as marbled as the Ribeye or Tomahawk; but it does have a firmer texture. This cut is also known as a Strip Steak or Kansas City Strip. Keep in mind that for Charcuterie, we recommend serving the steak Chicago style, medium well.
- After selecting the cut of steak (approx 1 inch thick) that would be best for your board, we recommend a heavy rub or spice mix to cover all areas of the steak
- On the barbecue you will need to sear the steak at approx 500 degrees fahrenheit for approx 2 – 2.5 minutes on each side. Then turn down the temperature to approx 350 degrees and have the steaks placed on an aluminum or cast iron tray. Let it cook for another 5 minutes with a little butter, garlic and rosemary.
- Alternatively, if you elect to cook indoors, the steak can be seared in a pan with light olive oil. Sear for approx 2 – 2.5 minutes on each side adding some butter, cloves of garlic and some rosemary during the cooking process. Once seared; place the steak in the oven (preheated at 350 degrees) for 5 minutes.
- Remove the steak from the oven and this is the most important step… Don’t do anything. Just leave the steak alone to cool to room temperature for 1 hour.
- Once the steak has reached room temperature, you can either serve it right away or…
- Place the cooked steak in an air-tight container or vacuum seal the steak. Put it in the refrigerator for later use. When the steak is packed air-tight you can store the steak for upto 3 days in the refrigerator. Great way to prep for any events in advance.
- When ready to serve, cut the steak in thin slices and serve on your charcuterie board as the centerpiece.
Finishing off the Steak Charcuterie experience
- Pick out 2 cheeses; Ideally, pick once soft cheese and one firmer. We recommend Manchego or Pecorino as on of the harder cheeses.
- Pick out some of your favorite condiments, sauces, pickles or jams. The beauty of charcuterie is that you can play around with whatever you like. I recommend a chimichurri as a great compliment to a steak
- Select a good bread and/or crackers for your steak charcuterie board. We recommend a toasted baguette, whole wheat crackers or breadsticks
- Add fruits and nuts. For a steak board we suggest more savory options such as fresh figs or dates. For nuts, we recommend lightly salted cashews, or almonds.
- Garnish with some grapes, pomegranates or dried cherries or cranberries or vegetables like marinated olives, artichokes, roasted red pepper, sauteed or grilled onions and mushrooms.
Everyone loves an opportunity to eat steak. Keep in mind that charcuterie is subjective, so be creative. I felt inspired to switch things up a bit from the standard charcuterie. To create an amazing steak board that could be served as an appetizer or as a sharable feast. I love how this allows for all of my friends and family to not only enjoy their favorite cut of steak, but also discover that their favorite meat takes on a unique flavor when paired with the different sauces, condiments, nuts (don’t forget the wine) – thus the elevated charcuterie experience.
