Celebrate Summer with a Festive BBQ Charcuterie Board

In this issue from Krysta’s Kitchen, I am putting all of the best things about summer BBQs on a board. Say goodbye to normal charcuterie boards and say hello to BBQ charcuterie boards! 

With summer in full swing, I thought what better way to ring in warmer weather than with a BBQ charcuterie board? We’ve all come to know and love the classic meat and cheese board, but I wanted to put a BBQ spin on it. 

I hope by now, you’ve come to know that my goal with these features is to create something that anyone can replicate at home with their own twist. This board is a perfect party-pleaser and could easily be the main course for a smaller get-together with some additional sides. 

How to Plan Your BBQ Charcuterie Board

My best recommendation is to start with your proteins. I went with the flat of a brisket, lollipop chicken drumsticks, and St. Louis-style ribs. By providing a variety of proteins, I knew there would be a little something to keep everyone happy. Some other ideas that you could do are pulled meat, chicken wings, sausages, and meat skewers. Be sure to choose a variety of textures and flavors to keep your guests happy.

1. Pick Your Sides

To balance out the meats, you will want to add some delicious sides. I ended up going with a Sweet N’ Spicy Coleslaw, Mac and Cheese Cups, and Elote Corn Ribs. I was going for easy, snackable options but some other ideas that you could include are potato salad, baked beans, or jalapeno poppers. Grilled vegetables such as zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, and mushrooms would also make great additions!

3. Add Some Sauces and Condiments

Sauces and condiments are a must-have for any BBQ charcuterie board. Just like with your proteins and sides, you will want to offer a range of flavors to pair with the stars of your board. I went with two different kinds of barbeque sauce, a mustard-based one and a hickory-smoked one, but you could also do hot sauce, mustard, or honey. I also wanted to add all of the typical BBQ fixins’ such as pickles, banana peppers, and onions but if you want to add some variation, you can also include dips like hummus and guacamole to add variety to your board.

4. Arrange Your Board

Now that you have all your ingredients, it’s time to arrange your BBQ board! Start by placing the larger items such as the meats on your board first. Something to note here is that if you plan on using a true charcuterie board, you may want to use a larger one because the meat alone will take up quite a bit of space. I also used some different serving platters to create some height variations, but you could easily create a board without them. Once the meat has been placed, then you could start placing your sides. For items that need a spoon to be served, I recommend serving them off to the side or using a smaller bowl on the board to serve them. Then whatever space you have left over, you can fill it with bread, chips, or fixins’.

Once you’ve arranged your BBQ charcuterie board, it’s time to serve and enjoy! Be sure to provide plenty of napkins and plates for your guests to help themselves. This unique twist on a classic appetizer is sure to be a hit at your next backyard BBQ.

Recipe for Sweet N’ Spicy Coleslaw

• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 6 Tbsp. peach nectar or juice
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. vinegar-based hot sauce
• ½tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• ⅛ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large head of cabbage, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Whisk vinegar, peach nectar, oil, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a large bowl to combine. 
2. Add cabbage and toss until completely coated in dressing. 
3. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes to allow cabbage to soften and flavors to meld together.

Recipe for Tender Beef Brisket 

Ingredients

• Half or Whole Brisket (I went with half)
• Favorite BBQ Spice Rub

Prep your brisket

If you’re anything like me, you might be cooking brisket for the first time. Don’t let that scare you! I ended up buying a full brisket from my local grocery store. I also knew I didn’t want to cook the whole thing, so I ended up splitting my brisket into a “point” cut and a “flat” cut. Unless you’re cooking for more than 8 people, I don’t think you need more than one-half. Then I trimmed my brisket pretty thoroughly, leaving ¼ inch of fat on all sides before splitting it in half. For this recipe and in the photos, I used the “flat” side of my brisket, which is the thinner side of your brisket. I highly recommend looking up a video on YouTube on how to split it, because unless you’ve done it, it might be pretty tricky! Once your brisket is trimmed and split, you can put one side in the freezer and use your other one. 

Directions

1. Place your brisket in a 13×9-inch baking dish and cover it with your favorite BBQ dry rub on both sides. Once all sides are covered, then refrigerate it overnight.
2. Remove the brisket from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 300° then bake, covered, for 4-5 hours. 
3. Once the meat has cooked thoroughly, take it out and spread your favorite BBQ sauce over the top of your brisket, then continue to bake, uncovered for 15-30 minutes longer or until tender. Cut diagonally across the grain into thin slices and serve!
4. This is the exact process I also used for the ribs. It’s a great alternative to using a smoker if you don’t have one. The ribs come out just as good!

This article was originally written for the Summer 2023 Issue of Modern Cowboy Magazine. (Previously known as Cowboy Lifestyle Magazine). Catch more stories from this issue below!