Charcuterie - TJ or WF?

Putting together a charcuterie plate for Christmas. Who has better options at a decent price - Trader Joe's or Whole Foods? I know Trader Joe's will be cheaper but don't know their availability of cured meat options. Whole Foods will have lots of options but they're more expensive. Trader Joes is a hike in the other direction from where I work and live but WF is a mile from my office......

(we also have a local coop that might have local cheese options, not sure anyone around is doing a variety of cured meats though)

 

No way to compare apples/apples on opp sides of the Greater 48, but in a general sense, TJs does a great job with the basics but Whole might have broader wings.

Do you have time to mail order? If so, get some guanciale from Armandino Batali's joint in Seattle!! Oh my ...

 

charcuterie: Jeez, I had to Google that one. Back here in WI with our Polish/German ancestry, we call that sausage appetizers!

Hard salami, ham, liver sausage, summer sausage, liver pate, etc.

Of course we do have Usinger's & Klement's in town and both have outlet stores! and also sell online:
http://www.usinger.com/gifts/

We also have a ton of local butchers who make their own sausages.

About the only good sausage we found living in Vegas was Johnsonville, which of course is made in WI.

 

Dear Culinary Institute of America,

"Sausage appetizers." Please correct the syllabus.

Sincerely, The German-Polish Alliance for Truth in Cured Meat, Head and Guts

 

Now, now Ken, get off the high horse.

 

High horse?

Can you make charcuterie out of that?

Grits or polenta? Don't care what it's called, understand it's called different things in different places, I like it regardless.

 

"Hard salami, ham, liver sausage, summer sausage, liver pate, etc."

sounds like breakfast at Louie Andersons house.

 

Whole Foods has a deli where meats are sliced fresh.

Trader Joes deli meat is packaged. The selection isn't bad.

I understand price is a factor, but I would think WFs is a better value.

 

I'm not mail ordering Ken. Price is a factor mainly because I'm the only one who really cares about exceptional quality or variety, so.....And my personal preference is for italian or french style over german or polish. Just prefer the techniques and flavors

Guess I'll see what I feel like next week. The TJ store opens at 8am so I could detour on my way to work (less traffic and fewer customers) and see what I like, and if I strike out there, it's easy enough to hit Whole Foods near work.....

(a few years ago, I made a lovely chicken liver pate de campagne and I was the only one who ate it. Took days to make and I had leftovers forever. So now I buy a small container somewhere to get my personal splurge and give everyone else a hunk of brie) Though apparently this year I've decided I want to stretch my in-laws' horizons again.....

 

I prefer the meats at WF. I think it's worth the extra coin. I don't mind TJ cheeses, though. The peppadew peppers at WF are fantastic if you want a anti-pasta platter. I am hooked on those babies.

 

youz guyz are making me salivate...that is my mouth is watering, joe!

the next time you venture from downtown to the strip, joe, try the charcuterie plate at bouchon, or even the one at grand luxe, then you will know.

high horse, a blend of mustang and certain herbs, currently only available in colorado.

hoya, do you also find your cheeses at wf or tj? we of course do not have either here in montana, but because of our antiquated liquor laws requiring wine shops to have an inventory of food, some of our indie wine stores now are bringing in some european meats and cheeses. have a hard time parting with the amount of money they are asking for those foodstuffs, but we will see if santa has looser pursestrings than i do.

so, hoya, do you do a little fruit, or bread/jam, pickles and or olives along with the meats?

and, ken, i am sure yours include some salsas and peppers...?

 

Kitson - I will buy cheese at either place - I brought home a soft cheese from France, so I want a hard cheese and a blue. I made sweet & spicy nuts so I'll serve those, and I haven't decided about fruit or a chutney yet. For Christmas dinner one entree will be pork loin with cranberry compote, so I don't want to have the same/similar thing as an appetizer. But I might do pear slices or if I could find those adorable champagne grapes? No olives or peppers this time. Haven't decided between bread or flatbread crackers - might depend on what kind of cheese & meat I get & what looks good in the store ;-)

Today I'm going home the long way and will check out the food co-op to see if they have anything interesting and local.

And, on the Vegas topic, I believe we'll do a charcuterie ("Butcher Block/ Cheese Shop" on their menu) at Public House Venetian- their menu looks nice - we plan to stop for beer after our trade show (at Sands this year) and having some meat & cheese and a couple beers will be a great snack (or light meal) around 5-6 when the show ends.

I've not been to Bouchon - were actually considering that for a breakfast. I've had the charcuterie plate at Mon Ami Gabi - not sure if it's still on the menu; it's been a few years since I've had it and I think I looked for it once for someone else and didn't see it online.

 

Hey, Glen, nice to see you. How's the weather up there in the balmy northern tier?

H2, what about Costco? Costco always knocks it out come cheese time. (And perhaps not for your sausage appetizer array, but try the horseradish cheddar some time.)

 

Thought I posted here but must be on another board where I was talking about this. No on Costco this time. I've tried every cheese & meat they sell and they haven't changed their options in a while, and I want something different. Plus, I don't want the huge portions.

 

As a fellow Wisconsinite I heartily agree. (I had to google it also)

 

You guys hear Barry Alvarez talking about serving charcuterie after the Rose Bowl? WTF is up with that? Must be because the game is in LaLaLand!!

 

Please Ken a source? I want to read or hear Barry say charcuterie:evillaugh

 

One of my favorite food writers (from Cleveland!) has written a fabulous book called Charcuterie, and a new follow-up called Salumi.

http://ruhlman.com/my-books/

So midwesterners are familiar with the words

[and if it matters, I am of German heritage, born in IL - my sister lives in Milwaukee- I've had my share of german & polish sausages too. Dangit, there is no way to re-write that sentence to sound not dirty. I am not maligning the german & polish traditions. It's just not what I want this time]

 

We went to one our favorite pubs yesterday and across the street is a popular local butcher shop. They make all home made sausage!

Besides buying some fresh liver sausage, brats, fresh polish and beef jerky, I had to buy some Kishka.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kishka_%28food%29

 

Damn, ya'll are making me hungry. Think I'll make rellenos tonight!