Turn Your Leftover Charcuterie Into A Savory Bolognese Sauce

An expertly curated charcuterie board can be a meal all in itself that promises salty meats, creamy cheese, and sweet fruit in combination with other treats like nuts and crackers. But chances are, no matter how well the board was appointed, you'll have a few leftovers from it once the party clears out. True, you can enjoy these remnants as prime snacking material, but why not get a bit creative with it? 

Instead, use one of these flavorful components to help pump up the umami levels of your next batch of ragù alla bolognese sauce. Whether you have prosciutto, salami, sopressata, coppa, or even a good cut of ham, each of these meats can add a decadent and salty undercurrent to your sauce. A blend of several of these fatty and seasoned meats would be ideal, bringing a unique combination of flavors that can add heft to the ground chuck base. 

First, consider what kind of meats you have left over and how you can best combine them in the sauce. Salami, mortadella, and coppa all have rich fat deposits and plenty of seasoning, which means they'll bring quite a bit of oil and flavor to the recipe. Meanwhile, the more lean, salty cuts like ham and prosciutto impart a slightly sweet and briny taste to the meat mix. Again, choose a blend of several of the meats for the best flavor. The rest of the meat used in the recipe can be a mix of ground chuck. 

From there you'll want to chop this meat mix as finely as possible. Pro tip — use a food processor to quickly dice it all up with just a few pulses. Once you have it all finely minced, you'll mix it in with the ground chuck until the meat is thoroughly incorporated. After that, you can proceed with the recipe as normal since the special charcuterie flavor is now embedded in the beef. The result is an incredibly delicious-tasting meal.