This Affordable Southern Prosciutto Swap Belongs On Your Next Charcuterie Board

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Charcuterie boards are fun to make, whether they're for one or a group, thanks to all the protein possibilities. You could mix and match salted, cured, and smoked meats (not to mention pates and terrines) in nearly infinite ways before you repeated a combination. And that's before the many unique cheese options that make a charcuterie board even more of a feast. While prosciutto may be a reliable, common choice, it's worth swapping it for country ham on your next grazing platter.

A quality 4-ounce pack of the thinly sliced variety that most resembles prosciutto might run about $9, depending on your region and access to local gourmet grocers and stores. While prices will vary by location, good prosciutto can cost nearly twice as much, and its price ceiling is generally a lot higher. So, this novel adaptation might just save you some cash, even if you opt for something like a whole 15- to 17-pound Prosciutto-Style Country Ham from Broadbent's in Kentucky.

Country ham, as opposed to its logical counterpart, city ham, is a dry-cured pork staple in the American South, especially Appalachia, where its roots stretch back hundreds of years. It's deeply salty and complexly funky, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture, which, yes, sounds like another little uncooked Italian swine we know. That's what makes it such a great swap for prosciutto; it's similar enough to the tried-and-true go-to while providing a slight departure (country ham is generally saltier and sometimes smoked). While this porky zag doesn't require any adjustments, it's fun to lean into flavors the ham traditionally pairs well with when devising your charcuterie board.

That little pot of honey, jar of fruit mostarda, and ramekin of cornichons or pepperoncini that you might normally incorporate with your charcuterie will still sing with country ham. But pickled okra, apple butter, and chow chow (a sweet-and-tangy regional vegetable relish) would make for a lovely, geographically appropriate pairing. The baguette or ciabatta medallions you'd ordinarily slice up will work well, too, particularly with a slathering of creamy, softened butter between the bread and the pork to approximate a tasty French jambon beurre. But for something more regionally relevant to the country ham, a couple of classic Southern buttermilk biscuits are key among your carbs.

Tangy pimento cheese, also popular in the South, is another brilliant addition to your charcuterie board when country ham is on the menu. It's an ideal, super-spreadable alternative to the usual soft cheeses, like Brie and goat. Toss some pecans in with your ordinary nuts, or just swap them in altogether, and you've got a pretty cohesive Southern charcuterie board anchored by that clever country ham switcheroo. Stay in line with your culinary inspo and pair it all with refreshing mint juleps to cut through the salty richness.