Fiesta Grazing Board

Course: Appetizer, Starters

Cuisine: Latin American, Mexican

Keyword: charcuterie, cheese, cured meats, grazing board

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 5

Total Time: 35

Servings: people (appetizer portions)

Calories: 344kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

This fiesta grazing board centers the Medjool date strips with Tajín® around ingredients that bring out their sweet and spicy flavors and is piled with flavorful cured meats, tangy cheeses, and refreshing fruits.

Print Recipe

Equipment

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

Swaps and Substitutions:

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.

Tips and Techniques:

This Fiesta Grazing Board makes a weekday dinner or weekend brunch easy.

Serving and Safe-Storage Instructions:

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.

Nutrition