The charcuterie trend is all the rage this holiday.

Salty meats, crispy crackers, creamy cheeses and a pop of sweetness, gathered in perfect harmony on a beautiful wood board has always been a crowd-pleaser, but this year, charcuterie boards are likely to be a staple at Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings.

Online searches for charcuterie are up nearly 300% in the past 12 months, according to TrendKite.

Vince & Joe’s Executive Chef Angelo Loria (winner of Hour Magazine’s 2021 Best Virtual Chef and 2020 Best Chef) is getting a lot of attention for his holiday charcuterie boards. In fact, the Hand-Carved Butcher’s Board, featuring premium meats such as prime rib, beef tenderloin and miso chicken thighs, made the front cover of Macomb Now Magazine. Chef Loria’s glammed-up charcuterie boards were also featured on Fox 2 Detroit and WXYZ Channel 7.

FOX 2: Holiday Charcuterie Boards 

To order the boards featured on TV, click here.

Charcuterie boards are great for many occasions because they’re versatile and easy to tailor for occasions and diet preferences.

If you’re putting together a board of your own, have fun with the possibilities and remember Chef Angelo’s golden rule: every item on the board should have a “wingman or woman” with it.  If it’s prosciutto, you should have some parmesan and fig jam, if it’s grilled steak it could be roasted potatoes and pesto, if it’s a BBQ board and you’ve got smoked brisket, crispy onions, BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese make a great team.

Here are some more general rules to live by when constructing your charcuterie board.

• Apples – pair well with most cheeses
• Grapes – pair well with mozzarella and hard cheeses
• Strawberries and blueberries – pair well with creamy, soft cheeses