Slicing Charcuterie: A Practical Guide
The way you slice a piece of cured meat dictates how it melts on the tongue. Cold meat handles differently than room-temperature meat, and knowing the difference prevents the shredding or crumbling of high-quality product.
Temperature is your primary tool
Keep the meat chilled until seconds before slicing; once it warms up, the fat softens and the structure becomes difficult to cut cleanly.
- Slicing knife (long, thin blade)
- Paring knife
- End-grain wood cutting board
- Clean kitchen towel
What goes in.
- 1 pieceWhole-muscle cured meat (coppa, lonza, or bresaola)
- 1 stickDry-cured salami or saucisson sec
The Bias Cut
For salami, hold your knife at a 45-degree angle to the meat. This increases the surface area of each slice, showcasing the distribution of fat and spice while providing a better mouthfeel.
The method.
Prep the casing
For dry-cured sausages, use a paring knife to make a shallow vertical slit along the casing, then peel it back. Do not score the meat itself.
Stabilize the board
Place a damp kitchen towel under your wooden board so it doesn't slide under pressure; a slipping board leads to uneven slices.
Slice the muscle
Using the full length of your slicing knife, use long, drawing strokes—do not push straight down. Let the blade weight do the work to get the slice thin enough to see light through.
Portion the salami
Apply steady, forward pressure using the bias cut to maintain consistent thickness across every round.
Other turns to take.
Crumbly meats
For meats that tend to fall apart, move the knife back and forth in a rapid sawing motion rather than a single long pull.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Sharpen your knife immediately before starting; even a slightly dull blade will drag through the fat and pull the meat fibers apart.
Keep slices grouped on the board as you cut them to keep the edges from drying out before serving.
Wipe the blade with a clean cloth between different types of meat to avoid cross-contaminating flavors.
The ones that keep coming up.
Should I keep the casing on?
Always remove the fibrous, inedible casings from salami before serving. Natural, thin casings can stay, but if they feel like tough plastic under the knife, peel them off.
Why does my meat shred?
The meat is likely too warm, or your knife is not sharp enough. Return the piece to the refrigerator for 20 minutes and hone your blade.
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