The best cured meats for a charcuterie board are a mix of three kinds: one whole-muscle meat sliced paper thin, like prosciutto, coppa or bresaola; one or two salamis, like Genoa, soppressata or finocchiona; and, if you want one more, something soft or spreadable, like mortadella, 'nduja or pâté. Different textures, different fat and one with spice is what makes a meat board interesting.
Cured meat is rich and salty, so whatever you buy needs something sharp beside it. A small bowl of pickled white shimeji mushrooms is ours: crisp, bright little clusters that cut straight through the fat. Its own product page pairs it with "Cured prosciutto and lardo".
Below: the three kinds of cured meat to buy and which pickled mushroom suits each, how to choose prosciutto and salami, the Italian cured meats worth knowing, how much to buy per person, how to fold a salami rose, and how to store what's left.
The three kinds of cured meat to buy
- Whole-muscle cured meats: a single cut of meat, salted and air-dried, then sliced very thin. Prosciutto, jamón, coppa, bresaola, speck. Silky and delicate.
- Salami: ground meat and fat, seasoned, stuffed into a casing and dried. Genoa, soppressata, finocchiona, Calabrese, dry chorizo, French saucisson. Firm, chewy, often spiced.
- Soft, cooked and spreadable: charcuterie also covers cooked meats. Mortadella, ham, pâté, rillettes and 'nduja go here, and they give a board something to spread.
For six to eight people, choose three meats: one from the first group, one or two salamis, and one soft or spicy one if you like. More than four and they start to blur.
Which pickled mushroom goes with which meat
- Prosciutto, coppa and lardo: pickled white shimeji. Delicate meat wants a delicate pickle, and this is the pairing on the jar's own page.
- Salami and soppressata: pickled crimini. Whole caps with garlic and thyme, firm enough to share a cocktail pick with a folded slice of salami.
- Pâté and rillettes: pickled black shimeji, whose page pairs it with "Pâté and rillettes".
- Bresaola and other cured beef: pickled shiitake, the most savory of the five; its page pairs it with "Charred steak and rare beef carpaccio".
- Mortadella and a very rich board: pickled king oyster, thick meaty coins with truffle oil. Use it sparingly next to the richest meats.
The fear with any jarred mushroom is a soft, slippery texture. These are firm:
"The mushrooms still have a bite to them and don't have that canned texture at all."
— Julia R., Golden Grove customer
For a meat board for eight, one jar of pickled white shimeji is plenty: a jar holds 250 g (about 9 oz) of mushrooms once drained. A 2-Pack gives you one jar for the board and one for the rest of the week, on prosciutto toast or in a salad.
Prosciutto for a charcuterie board
Prosciutto is dry-cured ham, and the classic first choice for a board. Prosciutto di Parma and Prosciutto di San Daniele are the two famous Italian ones; domestic prosciutto is a good, often cheaper choice for a big board.
- Buy it sliced paper thin, ideally at the counter, with paper between the slices. Thick prosciutto is chewy and hard to fold.
- Separate the slices as soon as you unwrap them. They stick together, and peeling them apart on the board tears them.
- Fold it loosely into ribbons: pinch a slice in the middle and let it fall in a wave, or roll it into a loose rose. Never lay it flat.
- Pair it with figs, soft cheeses and breadsticks to wrap it around, and the white shimeji. Melon is the classic match; serve it on its own plate so the juice doesn't reach the crackers.
Plan about 2 ounces of prosciutto for every three people when it shares the board with other meats.
Salami for a charcuterie board
Salami is the backbone of most boards: it is affordable, it keeps, and it holds its shape. Mix one mild and one with spice:
- Genoa: mild, soft and garlicky. The safe choice.
- Soppressata: coarsely ground and pressed, sweet or spicy. Good with a hard cheese.
- Finocchiona: Tuscan salami with fennel seed. Lovely with pears.
- Calabrese or hot salami: chili-red and spicy, for one bold option.
- Dry Spanish chorizo: paprika and garlic. Buy the cured, ready-to-eat Spanish kind; fresh Mexican-style chorizo is raw and has to be cooked.
- Saucisson sec: the French dry sausage, simple and nutty, for a French board.
Buy pre-sliced salami for speed, or a whole one and slice it on the board, a little thicker than prosciutto. A whole salami with a few slices cut and a knife beside it looks generous and saves you work.
How to make a salami rose
- Take a small wine glass or a champagne flute and eight to twelve thin salami slices.
- Fold the first slice over the rim so half is inside the glass and half outside.
- Add slices around the rim, each overlapping the last by about half, until the rim is covered.
- Make a second layer the same way, overlapping the first.
- Press the slices down gently, turn the glass upside down on the board and lift it away. Open the outer petals a little with your fingers.
One rose in the middle of the board is enough. Fold the rest of the salami into quarters, or fan it in a curving line between the cheeses.
More cured meats worth knowing
Coppa (capicola)
Dry-cured pork neck and shoulder, marbled and lightly spiced. Richer than prosciutto, and just as easy to fold.
Bresaola
Air-dried, salt-cured beef, very lean and deep red. It is the answer for a board without pork. Drizzle it with olive oil and lemon and add shaved Parmigiano.
Mortadella
A large, smooth cooked pork sausage from Bologna, often studded with pistachios. Fold thin slices into quarters.
Speck
A smoked, cured ham from the north of Italy. Firmer and smokier than prosciutto, and good with mountain cheeses.
Jamón serrano and jamón ibérico
Spain's dry-cured hams. Serrano is everyday; ibérico, from black Iberian pigs, is nuttier and richer. Serve with Manchego and Marcona almonds.
'Nduja
A soft, spicy, spreadable pork salume from Calabria. Put it in a small dish with a knife, to spread on bread.
Pâté and rillettes
The French side of charcuterie: smooth pâté, and rillettes, meat slow-cooked in its own fat and shredded. Serve with baguette, cornichons and pickled black shimeji.
Pancetta
Cured pork belly, usually cooked before eating. Keep it for the kitchen rather than the board.
How much cured meat per person
As an appetizer, plan on about 2 ounces of meat per person; if the board is the meal, double it. So for eight guests, buy about 1 pound in total, split across your three meats. Our charcuterie board ingredients guide has the full table, with cheese, and a shopping list for eight.
Buying, storing and serving cured meats
- Buy sliced meats a day or two before the party, and whole salami up to a week ahead.
- Take them out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving. Cured meats taste better a little warmer than fridge-cold.
- Keep the board out for no more than two hours, counting from when it leaves the fridge. Top it up from the fridge rather than leaving it out all night.
- Leftovers: the government's cold food storage chart at FoodSafety.gov gives deli-sliced meats 3 to 5 days in the fridge once opened, and a cut piece of dry Italian or Spanish ham, such as prosciutto, 2 to 3 months. Wrap them well.
Cured meat questions
What are the best cured meats for a charcuterie board?
Prosciutto, Genoa salami and soppressata are the most popular three. Coppa, bresaola, mortadella, speck and dry chorizo are good swaps when you want something different.
What is the difference between salami and soppressata?
Soppressata is a type of salami: coarsely ground and pressed, which gives it a flatter, rustic shape and a chunkier bite than a smooth Genoa.
What can I use instead of pork?
Bresaola, which is cured beef, plus beef salami, duck prosciutto and smoked salmon. Pickled mushrooms add the chew and savory depth of meat without being meat.
How do you keep prosciutto from sticking together?
Buy it with paper between the slices, separate them as soon as you unwrap them, and fold them onto the board one at a time.
Do pickled mushrooms go with salami?
Yes. The acid cuts through the fat. Put a pickled crimini and a folded slice of salami on the same pick, or set a bowl of pickled white shimeji between the meats.
The short version
Buy three cured meats: one thin and silky, like prosciutto; a salami or two; and one soft or spicy. Plan about 2 ounces per person, fold everything loosely, and put something sharp beside it. When you are ready, start with a 2-Pack of pickled white shimeji for the prosciutto. For the rest of the board, see our charcuterie board ideas and the best small pickles for a charcuterie board.