An epic Fiesta Grazing Board is piled with flavorful cured meats and tangy cheeses, and it is brought to new flavor heights thanks to Medjool Date Strips with Tajín® Chili Lime seasoning. This post is your ultimate guide for how to build the tastiest, most impressive grazing board to serve as the centerpiece of your next outdoor party, fiesta, or gathering.
Thanks to Natural Delights® Medjool Dates for sponsoring this post.
What’s The Difference Between A Charcuterie And A Grazing Board?
Charcuterie is French for “cured meats,” in the culinary world, it encompasses cured and forced meats, namely those made from pork. Your favorite lunchmeat, cured sausages, and pâtés, like foie gras, are all types of charcuterie. The difference between a charcuterie and a grazing board is that a charcuterie must have more cured meat than any other component. With a grazing board, the ratio of cured meats doesn’t matter.
What Do I Need To Build A Fiesta Grazing Board?
This fiesta grazing board centers the Medjool Date Strips with Tajín® around ingredients that bring out their sweet and spicy flavors.
Cured meats like coppa, lomo, and chorizo all have smokey, salty fattiness that the sweet dates cut through. Cheese is a natural complement to both cured meat and dates. Sharp, tangy cheeses and cheese with mellow, creamy flavors enhance the dates’ velvety texture and subtle caramel notes.
I want to focus on the dates with this board, so I’m bringing in briny accouterments like olives, pickles, and preserves to break through the more assertive flavors of the meat and cheeses and help cleanse the palate. Finally, bread; who doesn’t love an edible plate to pile all these delectable components on? I prefer a simple bolillo bread, sliced and toasted, to provide texture.
You’ll also need a nice-sized board to proudly display your fiesta grazing board.
What Are Medjool Date Strips with Tajín®?
Besides being my and my daughter’s latest snacking obsession, Medjool Date Strips with Tajín® are chunks of plump, sweet Medjool dates seasoned with the tingling spice of Tajín® chile lime seasoning. Here in Texas, Tajín® is as common as salt and pepper. The salty acidity, mixed with the spice of chiles, is habit-forming in the best way possible.
Plump Medjool dates, with their caramel, nutty flavor, are an exquisite snack on their own, but when dusted with Tajín®, you’ll seek them out for more than just a snack. And that’s where I come in! Well, that’s where the recipe comes in.
What Kind Of Board Is Best?
The board you use as the base for your Fiesta Grazing Board can be whatever dish is wide or long enough to hold everything. I often use my largest wooden cutting board to build my grazing board. But your base doesn’t have to be a wooden board.
Get creative with your grazing board’s foundation by using:
- A long piece(s) of parchment or butcher’s paper. This is fun because you can write the names of each ingredient on the “board.”
- A slate board.
- Cake stands of varying heights.
- A marble slab.
- An inverted sheet pan or a simple serving platter.
The key is finding a flat surface that showcases the food on it but is sensible for the environment where you’re serving the grazing board. If this is for outdoor entertaining, a metal pan, which conducts heat, may not be your best option, especially in the height of summer.
What Are Accoutrements?
Accoutrements, also spelled accouterments, is the food term for add-ons such as sauces, condiments, and garnishes that complement the main meal or food but aren’t vital to its enjoyment. Examples of accoutrements on this fiesta grazing board are pickled tomatillos or passion fruit preserves.
I’m using the accoutrements above for this particular board and also adding tangerine chile-brined olives and Cara Cara orange marmalade.
Stick to flavor profiles or condiments that align with the Mexican-inspired theme. Here are some of my favorites:
- Tropical fruit preserves like tamarind or mango chutney, a bacon jam.
- Briny elements such as pickled okra, chile-brined pickles, or your favorite olives.
- Savory spreads like tapenade, guacamole, or a jalapeño relish.
How Do I Pick The Right Cheeses For This Board?
I recommend combining sharp and mild cheeses, which allows you and your guests to assemble a balanced bite. Sharp cheddar, pepper jack cheese, and gouda are my go-to for this grazing board. I buy them already sliced and cut them again to create triangles. Super simple.
Additionally, I like to incorporate a soft, spreadable cheese like chèvre to provide a creamy note. Chèvre, a goat’s milk soft cheese, and dates are the perfect marriage of texture and flavor.
Alternative cheeses to consider for this grazing board are:
- Panela or Oaxaca have mild, creamy flavors similar to mozzarella.
- Sharp, tangy Manchego from Spain.
- Muenster, Havarti, or Edam cheese are all middle-of-the-road in flavor and texture.
Are There Other Types Of Charcuterie I Can Use?
I found a sweet, honey and pequin chile-cured coppa (or capicola) at my grocery store, perfect for my fiesta grazing board. Coppa is similar in texture to prosciutto, and these curing flavors are slightly sweet and spicy.
I also use spicy, pecan-smoked Spanish chorizo, a hard sausage with assertive heat, and sweet, prickly pear-cured lomo from the pork loin to round it out.
You don’t have to use spiced or flavor-cured meats if your store doesn’t carry them, however. Simply cured meats will also work in this grazing board recipe. Here are a few suggestions:
- While hard salamis like Genoa, Sopressata, pancetta, or Prosciutto are not Spanish, they are still great cured meat options.
- Jamon Iberico, Jamon Serrano, or Morcilla have fattier mouthfeels that contrast beautifully with the fruits and bread.
- Fattier forced meats such as pâté, rillettes, or a slicable version like mortadella.
What Other Fruits Can I Add?
I recommend adding fruits that are native to the tropics or Latin America. Mangos, watermelon, and pineapples are the most accessible and widely common in Latin American cuisine. Some other great options are:
- papaya
- star fruit (carambola)
- mamey sapote
- prickly pear (tuna)
- pears
- apple
- berries
Fruit that is sweet or sweet-tart, firm, and can be eaten with the peel on or easily peeled are better options for your grazing board since they make assembling and eating easier.
Of course, our Medjool date strips with Tajín® are the stars of our fiesta grazing board. I like to arrange them in the middle of the board so my guests can grab them from every angle. Usually, two 6-ounce (170 grams) bags are plenty for a grazing board that serves 8 to 10 people.
What Type of Bread Do I Add To My Fiesta Grazing Board?
Bolillo bread is a Mexican bread similar in flavor and texture to French baguettes. You can find bolillos in most Hispanic markets, but if not, grab a French baguette and thinly slice it 1/4-inch thick.
Lightly toast the bread slices in an oven set to low broil. I usually toast mine for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Toasting your bread slices makes them sturdy enough to transport the custom creations from the board to your mouth.
How far ahead can I prepare my charcuterie board?
Cured meats and cheese really do taste better when they’re served slightly colder than room temperature. Keeping the ingredients safe from foodborne illnesses is paramount, though, so try not to keep them at room temperature for too long. After assembling the main components on the board, wrap the board to keep the meats and cheeses from drying out. Just leave space for the components that don’t require refrigeration or don’t taste good when chilled (like the bread). Add those elements just before you open it up for grazing. You can store your assembled charcuterie board in the fridge for 24 hours.
You can also assemble the fiesta grazing board an hour or two before serving.
How Long Can I Keep My Fiesta Grazing Board At Room Temperature?
For food safety’s sake, only allow your grazing board to sit out for 2 hours or less. While I have allowed mine to sit out longer, it’s always best to be safe, especially when hosting outdoor parties. In fact, if you’re serving this at an outdoor affair, try to keep it indoors or, at the very least, over a container or tray of ice.
Discard any elements of the grazing board that were left out for longer than two hours or longer.
What Other Recipes Will Complete My Fiesta?
A well-rounded outdoor fiesta also needs great drinks like Agua de Jamaica, Passion Fruit Daiquiris, or Tropical Sangria. Each drink recipe complements the fiesta grazing board’s variety of flavors.
To make it a heartier affair, serve my Arroz Borracho, Chicken on a Stick, Arroz con Gandules, or these Elotes.
Thanks to spicy sweetness from Medjool Date Strips with Tajín® and this detailed post, your Fiesta Grazing Board is going to be the highlight of your next outdoor entertaining affair. Your guests will love customizing each bite and with this post, you’ll love how easy it is to (literally) throw together. And PS: this is also a great option for a light lunch or dinner on busy weekdays or weekends.
Let me know how your Fiesta Grazing Board turned out in the comments and don’t forget to share this post with your friends and family.
Fiesta Grazing Board
at Sense & EdibilityEquipment
- large wooden board or food-safe serving tray
Ingredients
Accoutrements
- 8 ounces (140 grams) pitted green olives (or a small jar)
- 8 ounces (140 grams) pickled tomatillos (or 1 jar)
- 1/2 cup (155 grams) passion fruit preserves (or your favorite flavor)
- 1/2 cup (155 grams) orange marmalade (or your favorite flavor)
- 3 2-ounce (222 grams) bolillo rolls or French baguette, sliced 1/4-inch (7mm) thick
Cheeses
- 4 ounces (113 grams) sliced sharp cheddar cheese cut in quarters
- 4 ounces (113 grams) sliced gouda cheese cut in quarters
- 4 ounces (113 grams) sliced pepper jack cheese cut in quarters
- 4 ounces (113 grams) chèvre crumbled
Cured Meats
- 3 ounces (85 grams) coppa (capocollo) or salami, sliced
- 2 ounces (56 grams) lomo or sopressata, sliced
- 2 ounces (56 grams) spicy chorizo (cured, not fresh)
Fruits
- 1/4 small seedless watermelon rind removed and sliced
- 1 small pineapple (personal or baby pineapple) peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 large mango peeled, pitted, and sliced
- 2 6-ounce bags (340 grams) Medjool Date Strips with Tajín
Instructions
- Allow your oven to heat on the low broil setting while you assemble the grazing board.After turning on the oven, lay the bolillo slices in a single layer on a half-sheet pan. You may need to toast the bread in batches if you only have one pan. Set the pan of bread aside.
Assemble the Fiesta Grazing Board (2 hours ahead, max)
- Add the accoutrements ingredients to small bowls and arrange them in separate quadrants of the wooden board.It helps to vary the colors to make the board visually appealing, but this isn't a must.
- Arrange the cheese triangles around the bowls on the board. Crumble the chèvre near its respective bowl/area.
- Furl the cured meats and place them around the cheese and bowls. Try to keep any spiced meats with mild cheese (like the chèvre and gouda) and the milder meats with the sharper cheeses.
- Arrange the sliced fruits around the meat and cheeses, leaving an area in the center of the board for the Medjool Date Strips with Tajín®.Scatter the Medjool date strips in the open space on the grazing board.
Toast the Bread Slices
- Spray or brush a light coating of olive oil on both sides of the bread slices. This is optional, but helps give the bread beautiful color.Broil the bread slices for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Flip the slices over and broil for another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the bread pan from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely.
- Arrange the bread slices in any empty spaces on the grazing board. You can also serve the bread slices on the side.
Add Serving Utensils
- Place serving forks, spoons, and tongs around the grazing board for your guests.
- Enjoy the Fiesta Grazing Board by assembling your own unique canapé. Store the grazing board at room temperature no longer than two hours.
Notes
- Swap any of the listed accoutrements for: fig, tamarind, or mango chutney, or a bacon jam. Pickled okra, chile-brined pickles, or your favorite olives.
- Replace any of the cheeses with: Panela, Oaxaca, Manchego, Muenster, Havarti, or Edam.
- Substitute the listed meats for: Genoa salami, Sopressata, pancetta, Prosciutto, Jamon Iberico, Jamon Serrano, Morcilla, pâté, rillettes, or mortadella.
- Swap the listed fruits for papaya, star fruit (carambola), mamey sapote, prickly pear (tuna), pears, apple, or assorted berries.
- This Fiesta Grazing Board makes a weekday dinner or weekend brunch easy.
- After assembling the main components on the board, wrap the board to keep the meats and cheeses from drying out. Just leave space for the components that don't require refrigeration or don't taste good when chilled (like the bread). Add those elements just before serving.
- You can store your assembled charcuterie board in the fridge for 24 hours.
- You can also assemble the fiesta grazing board an hour or two before serving.
- Only allow your grazing board to sit out for 2 hours or less.
- If you're serving this outdoors, but have an inside area available, store it indoors. If indoors isn't an option, place the serving platter over a container or tray of ice.
- Discard any food from the grazing board left out for more than two hours.
This spread looks really tasty and flavorful and perfect for parties or get-togethers this summer. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome!
What a great idea for a grazing board. I know I’ll be making them all summer long.
Enjoy, Dennis!
This is a perfect dish for a party indeed. The colors are inviting and the combination of the flavors and textures were awesome!
Thank you, Amy!
Oh what a fun and delicious way to feed a crowd without a ton of work! It’s so beautiful and so many yummy choices!!!
It’s a great appetizer for any occasion, Lori.
What a unique grazing board! I was looking for just that: UNIQUE. I was able to find most of all the ingredients suggested, with minor substitutions. It was a hit! 🙂
I’m glad you found us, Juyali!
What a fun way to graze at any party. Lots of great items to eat. Fun presentation too.
Thanks so much!