Turn left side of grill or barbecue on for direct heat and preheat to 500°F.
Grill meats in the following order, transferring cooked meats to a foil-covered platter or baking sheet.
Sausage: Place sausages onto grate over direct heat. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning and poking the skin of the sausages at the 4 minute mark. Sausage is cooked when a thermometer shows the internal temperature has reached 160°F.
Chicken thighs: Dab chicken thighs dry with paper towel. Sprinkle both sides with poultry seasoning. Place the thighs, skin-side down on grill over direct heat. Close lid and cook for 4 minutes. Turn thighs over, brush with BBQ sauce and grill for an additional 8 minutes. Chicken is done when the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F.
Pork chops: Season both sides and edge of chops with pork rub. Place onto grill over direct heat and cook for 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to indirect side of grill and cook for 8 minutes more until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F.
Lamb lollipops: Sprinkle both sides of lollipops with steak seasoning. Place lollipops on grill over direct heat and cook for 2 minutes per side. Lamb is cooked medium-rare with an internal temperature of 135°F.
Filet mignon: Sprinkle salt and pepper on a piece of parchment or butcher’s paper and stir by hand. Roll filets along the edge to season. Place onto grill over direct heat. Close lid leaving them to cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Flip and grill for 5 minutes more. Remove from grill, cover with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes. The internal temperature of the meat should be 130°F for medium-rare.
Once the meat is cooked, cut and carve into smaller pieces, or leave portions whole and allow guests to carve as they wish. Place meats out onto a large wooden charcuterie or display board. Add grilled veggies, potatoes, other items and sauces onto board. Garnish with fresh herbs.
Serve with smaller luncheon-sized plates inviting guests to come up and enjoy at their leisure.
Turn left side of grill or barbecue on for direct heat and preheat to 500°F.
Grill meats in the following order, transferring cooked meats to a foil-covered platter or baking sheet.
Sausage: Place sausages onto grate over direct heat. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning and poking the skin of the sausages at the 4 minute mark. Sausage is cooked when a thermometer shows the internal temperature has reached 160°F.
Chicken thighs: Dab chicken thighs dry with paper towel. Sprinkle both sides with poultry seasoning. Place the thighs, skin-side down on grill over direct heat. Close lid and cook for 4 minutes. Turn thighs over, brush with BBQ sauce and grill for an additional 8 minutes. Chicken is done when the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F.
Pork chops: Season both sides and edge of chops with pork rub. Place onto grill over direct heat and cook for 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to indirect side of grill and cook for 8 minutes more until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F.
Lamb lollipops: Sprinkle both sides of lollipops with steak seasoning. Place lollipops on grill over direct heat and cook for 2 minutes per side. Lamb is cooked medium-rare with an internal temperature of 135°F.
Filet mignon: Sprinkle salt and pepper on a piece of parchment or butcher’s paper and stir by hand. Roll filets along the edge to season. Place onto grill over direct heat. Close lid leaving them to cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Flip and grill for 5 minutes more. Remove from grill, cover with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes. The internal temperature of the meat should be 130°F for medium-rare.
Once the meat is cooked, cut and carve into smaller pieces, or leave portions whole and allow guests to carve as they wish. Place meats out onto a large wooden charcuterie or display board. Add grilled veggies, potatoes, other items and sauces onto board. Garnish with fresh herbs.
Serve with smaller luncheon-sized plates inviting guests to come up and enjoy at their leisure.
Grilled Charcuterie Board
5 / 5. 2
Expertly grilled chicken thighs, pork chops, sausages, lamb lollipops and tender fillet mignon, all served charcuterie style…
Fire up the grill and grab a big board – we’re serving up a GRILLED CHARCUTERIE BOARD.
This post accomplishes three things; it’s a master grill guide, a flexible menu option, and most importantly, a delicious new dish to try. First, we’ll run through how to properly and perfectly prepare grilled meats. Then we’ll give you plenty of options on how to enjoy this amazing feast, whether it’s served for lunch, dinner or presented as an afternoon snack during cocktail hour. Finally, you’ll see how this GRILLED CHARCUTERIE BOARD is a feast for the senses. A truly remarkable idea that gets top marks for flavour and presentation.
Here’s a preview of what’s to come:
This post is for the carnivores out there. If you’re a vegetarian, go to this GRILLED VEGETABLE MEDLEY.
All of the meats prepared in this post are cooked on a grill.
We’ve divided this post by the different types of meats used: Italian sausage, chicken thighs, pork chops, lamb lollipops and filet mignon.
Although we detailed our suggested cooking time for each type of meat, we also included doneness guides within each section.
In presenting the finished dish, we also added a few easy ideas for vegetables and simple ingredients to accompany it.
Three delicious and flavourful sauce and dip suggestions are also included for your dining pleasure.
Trust us, this idea for a GRILLED CHARCUTERIE BOARD is stellar. Here are all the details:
MEAT SELECTION
The idea for this post piggybacked off of our popular MIXED GRILL post. In planning this recipe, we reached out to our friends at STEPHEN’S BUTCHER SHOP in Port Carling, Ontario. Known for their superior selection of quality meats, the team there prepared my selection to order, perfectly trimming the various types of meat I’d requested. When gathering your items to grill, try to include pork chops, sausage, plus chicken breasts or chicken thighs. We also suggest adding beef and lamb into the mix. Try a flavourful steak like filet mignon or rib eye steaks. Additionally, add standard lamb chops or individual bone-in lamb chops, referred to here as lamb lollipops.
GRILL
As mentioned at the top, all of the meats prepared in this recipe are cooked on a grill. You can use a gas grill, a charcoal barbecue or a pellet grill. For best results, we suggest preheating your grill to high heat and cooking the various meats at 500°F. If possible, we also recommend doing a combination of direct and indirect grilling. Searing some of the cuts over direct heat locks in flavour and will yield tender, juicy meats. Larger cuts of meat, like pork chops, require a longer cooking time. They can then be transferred to the indirect side of the grill to finish without burning.
SAUSAGE
Including a favourite sausage on your GRILLED CHARCUTERIE BOARD is always a great idea. Sausages are easy to grill, and they also hold well once cooked: simply cover with foil until you’re ready to enjoy. Four sausages will serve six guests. To serve, cut the cooked sausages into 1- to 1.5-inch pieces. They’re easy to transfer to plates and pair well with the more substantial selections. We used an Italian sausage for this recipe but others work too. Try the recipe using chorizo, hot Italian sausage, bratwurst, andouille, kielbasa, merguez and knockwurst. Not a bad idea to have a favourite mustard handy too.
HOW TO GRILL SAUSAGE
For best results, there’s no need to season or marinade sausages before grilling them. Plan for half a sausage per guest. Grill them on the direct heat side of the grill, cooking them for 8 to 10 minutes, until cooked through. We also suggest turning the sausages halfway through the cook time and also poking their casing with a sharp knife or brochette to release some of the juices. Because sausages are made with ground meats like beef, veal, pork and chicken. Because they do contain a bit of fat which may flare up during the grilling process. Stay close to your grill. Sausage is cooked when a thermometer shows the internal temperature has reached 160°F.
CHICKEN THIGHS
Chicken is often one of the most popular items on any grill board. Instead of chicken breasts, we selected boneless chicken thighs, considered dark meat, for their richer, more intense flavour. We also asked our butcher to leave the skin on, again to add more flavour and a crispy surround to the tender meat. You can also use chicken breasts, CHICKEN WINGS or a spatchcocked chicken, which is a whole chicken with most of the bones and carcass removed. Each thigh weighed about 4 – 5 ounces and 4 thighs will serve 6 guests.
HOW TO GRILL CHICKEN THIGHS
To prepare the thighs for the grill, dab them dry with paper towel then add a sprinkle of seasoning like our POULTRY & PORK RUB. Place the thighs skin-side down on the direct heat side of the grill. Close the lid and cook for four minutes. Turning them over, you can then brush them with BBQ SAUCE and grill for an additional eight minutes, flipping again to sauce both sides. Chicken is cooked when the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F. Chicken cooked this way can rest under a cover of foil until served.
PORK CHOPS
We decided to prepare two large pork chops for our GRILLED CHARCUTERIE BOARD, with each chop weighing just over ten ounces. Two chops will serve six guests. We asked Stephen’s to “french” the chops, a technique where the meat, fat and cartilage are removed from the rib, exposing the bone. It still leaves a bit of fat around the loin which grills up crispy while still keeping the texture of the meat tender and juicy.
HOW TO GRILL PORK CHOPS
To prepare the chops for the grill we sprinkled both sides with our POULTRY & PORK RUB, rolling the sides of the chops in seasoning too. Then we grill the chops over direct heat for four minutes per side before transferring them over to the indirect side of the grill for a final eight minutes, until they’ve reached an internal temperature of 145°F. The chops can be kept warm under a foil cover. We sliced the larger chop into smaller pieces for this charcuterie presentation allowing guests to take as much as they wish. Pro tip: place the bone on the board too, someone always enjoys it.
LAMB LOLLIPOPS
We’ve served quite a bit of lamb at WATC over the years, from this GRILLED RACK OF LAMB to GRILLED LAMB CHOPS, but these lamb lollipops are something super special. Similar to the pork chops, these lamb lollipops are frenched, so excess meat is trimmed off the bone leaving us with individual little lamb chops. They can then be held by hand and enjoyed as you would a lollipop. They are an excellent finger food and can be served on a charcuterie board hors d’oeuvres-style. Each lollipop weighs about five ounces and we think it’s best to plan for one per guest.
HOW TO GRILL LAMB LOLLIPOPS
Lamb lollipops get the shortest grill time over direct heat, just two minutes per side. Prepping them for grilling is also easy – simply sprinkle both sides with our flavourful BUTCHER’S BLEND spice mix. Although tender lamb prepared this way is served as a whole lollipop, the above photo does show you one, cut open. We prepared the lamb lollipops medium-rare, where they reach an internal temperature of 135°F. Fair warning, if you love lamb, prepare to be amazed, these glorious morsels of deliciousness go down easily, they’re so delicious.
FILET MIGNON
Often referred to as the king of beef cuts, filet mignon is something very special. Cut from the smaller end of the tenderloin, we worked with filets weighing between 7 – 8 ounces. Because this cut of beef comes from an incredibly lean part of the animal, it doesn’t contain much fat or connective tissue. People often say this fork-tender steak cuts like butter. Because this cut of meat is so popular, we suggest planning ¾ of a steak per person.
HOW TO GRILL FILET MIGNON
Minimal prep is needed to get filet mignon ready for the grill. We rolled the edges of the filets in a blend of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper before grilling. Like all the other meats featured in this post, filet gets cooked over direct heat, on the hot side of the grill. Our expert word of advice on how to grill filet mignon: don’t touch. Place them onto the grill and close the lid, leaving them undisturbed for five minutes, then flip and grill for five minutes more. The internal temperature of the meat should be 130°F for medium-rare. Once removed from the grill, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for five minutes before slicing as we did.
SAUCES
Although our selection of meats featured on this GRILLED CHARCUTERIE BOARD are all seasoned perfectly and cooked to perfection, we wanted to provide your taste buds with something extra (cue the sauces!). Three sauces that brighten the flavours of the lamb, beef, chicken and pork and take this idea from simple to amazing. Here they are with serving suggestions:
CREAMY BLUE CHEESE DIP – Boldly flavoured blue cheese blended with mayo, sour cream, shallot and fresh herbs. Video is HERE, recipe is HERE. Enjoy it spooned over the chicken thighs.
CHIMICHURRI – We add spicy bird’s eye pepper to this piquant sauce made with fresh herbs, garlic, vinegar and oil. Video is HERE, recipe is HERE. Try it on the lamb lollipops and pork chops.
SAUCE BÉARNAISE – Considered the “child” of hollandaise, béarnaise is a luxurious sauce made from butter, egg yolk, white wine, shallots and fresh tarragon. Video is HERE. It is best enjoyed on filet mignon.
SERVE
Preparing to serve this GRILLED CHARCUTERIE BOARD need not be complicated. Please follow our lead and grill up a few veggies before you cook the meat. Grilled sweet Vidalia onions, yellow and green zucchini, carrots, asparagus and bell peppers are easy to do and pair perfectly with everything. Of course, you can add virtually anything to this board: mushrooms, pickles, cherry tomatoes, warmed bread, crackers, honey, apples, you name it!
We also added assorted spiced olives and marinated sweet peppers plus our smashingly good GARLIC SMASHED POTATOES. Tuck in sprigs of rosemary or parsley as a final garnish and you’re good to go. FYI, this idea also loved being presented with chilled chardonnay or chablis, plus a perfectly chilled pilsner or pale ale as well as beautiful reds like merlot, cabernet or pinot noir.
ENJOY
I simply had to take a photo of my plate after I’d collected my favourites to enjoy. Adding grilled veggies in and amongst the lollipop, the slices of tender filet mignon and the sauced chicken thighs were so delicious, that I savoured each and every bite. Just to be clear, this pic is my first pass at the charcuterie board. I did in fact go back two more times, but who’s counting? Every flavour is next level.
A GRILLED CHARCUTERIE BOARD is this summer’s hottest trend!
Turn left side of grill or barbecue on for direct heat and preheat to 500°F.
Grill meats in the following order, transferring cooked meats to a foil-covered platter or baking sheet.
Sausage: Place sausages onto grate over direct heat. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning and poking the skin of the sausages at the 4 minute mark. Sausage is cooked when a thermometer shows the internal temperature has reached 160°F.
Chicken thighs: Dab chicken thighs dry with paper towel. Sprinkle both sides with poultry seasoning. Place the thighs, skin-side down on grill over direct heat. Close lid and cook for 4 minutes. Turn thighs over, brush with BBQ sauce and grill for an additional 8 minutes. Chicken is done when the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F.
Pork chops: Season both sides and edge of chops with pork rub. Place onto grill over direct heat and cook for 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to indirect side of grill and cook for 8 minutes more until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F.
Lamb lollipops: Sprinkle both sides of lollipops with steak seasoning. Place lollipops on grill over direct heat and cook for 2 minutes per side. Lamb is cooked medium-rare with an internal temperature of 135°F.
Filet mignon: Sprinkle salt and pepper on a piece of parchment or butcher’s paper and stir by hand. Roll filets along the edge to season. Place onto grill over direct heat. Close lid leaving them to cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Flip and grill for 5 minutes more. Remove from grill, cover with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes. The internal temperature of the meat should be 130°F for medium-rare.
Once the meat is cooked, cut and carve into smaller pieces, or leave portions whole and allow guests to carve as they wish. Place meats out onto a large wooden charcuterie or display board. Add grilled veggies, potatoes, other items and sauces onto board. Garnish with fresh herbs.
Serve with smaller luncheon-sized plates inviting guests to come up and enjoy at their leisure.
Until Cottage Season
