A charcuterie board with wild game jerky and cured meat is a different experience than a standard cheese and deli meat spread. It gives people something to discover — unfamiliar flavors, interesting textures, and snacks that hold up to conversation rather than getting polished off in three minutes without anyone noticing.
Here's how to put one together using Ranch Hand Provisions products.
The Foundation: Meat First
Start with the meat and build everything else around it. For a board that features wild game, you want a range of textures and intensity levels — something mild for people who haven't had wild game before, and something more pronounced for people who have.
Elk jerky — lean, earthy, and rich. Good as an anchor on any board. The Hickory Smoked variety has enough smoke presence to hold its own next to strong cheeses.
Alligator jerky — Cajun Style — mild base meat with real heat from the seasoning. Surprising to people who haven't tried it. Goes well with a mild, creamy cheese as a counterbalance.
Venison jerky — slightly gamey in the way good wild game should be. Pairs well with pickled vegetables or mustard on the board.
Buffalo jerky — the most approachable wild game option. Sweeter and leaner than beef, which makes it easy for people who aren't sure about wild game to start there.
Zick Sticks — the beef stick option. Slice them into coins for easy picking or leave them whole on the side of the board. They're not going to last long either way.
What Pairs Well with Wild Game Jerky
The lean, dry character of wild game jerky pairs well with:
Aged hard cheeses — sharp cheddar, manchego, aged gouda. The richness of the cheese balances the leanness of the meat.
Crackers with some structure — water crackers, grain crackers, or flatbreads that hold up to the density of jerky. Skip anything too light or crumbly.
Pickled things — cornichons, pickled onions, sport peppers. The acid cuts through the smoke and salt and resets your palate between bites.
Whole grain mustard — good with venison and buffalo especially. Adds sharpness without overpowering the meat flavor.
Honey or fig jam — a small amount on the board gives people a sweet contrast to the savory, smoky meats. Works particularly well with elk or alligator.
Board Size and Quantity
For a board serving 6 to 8 people as an appetizer or snack, plan on:
Three to four meat varieties totaling about 8 to 12 ounces of jerky and meat sticks. Two to three cheese options at 4 ounces each. A handful of crackers per person. Two or three accompaniments — pickles, mustard, something sweet.
Our variety bundles are built for exactly this use case. A bundle with multiple meats gives you the range you need without having to place separate orders for each variety.
Wild Game Charcuterie as a Gift
A wild game charcuterie bundle makes a genuinely memorable gift. It's not something most people would put together themselves, and the story behind the products — Zick's Specialty Meats in Michigan, 40-plus years of family craft, USDA approved and hardwood smoked — is one worth telling when you're putting the board out.
Browse our gift bundles and variety packs to find the right option. Everything ships nationwide and arrives ready to open and arrange.
Try something different. Once you do, it's hard to go back to the usual stuff.