Safari Stripes Cheese Meats (Printable)

A visually appealing platter with layers of creamy cheese and balsamic-glazed meats for gatherings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheese

01 - 8.8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into 0.4 inch thick strips
02 - 7 oz feta cheese, sliced into 0.4 inch thick strips

→ Meats

03 - 7 oz beef tenderloin, cut into 0.4 inch thick strips
04 - 7 oz chicken breast, cut into 0.4 inch thick strips
05 - 2 tbsp olive oil
06 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Balsamic Glaze

07 - ½ cup balsamic vinegar
08 - 1 tbsp honey

→ Garnish

09 - Fresh basil leaves
10 - Cracked black pepper

# How-To Steps:

01 - Combine balsamic vinegar and honey in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat, reduce heat, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until thickened and syrupy. Allow to cool.
02 - Season beef and chicken strips with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear beef strips for 1 to 2 minutes per side until just cooked through. Remove and set aside. Repeat with chicken strips.
03 - Arrange mozzarella, feta, and cooked meat strips in alternating rows on a serving platter to create a striped pattern.
04 - Drizzle balsamic glaze generously over meat strips. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and cracked black pepper.
05 - Serve immediately at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you trained under a Michelin chef when really you just arranged some stripes and drizzled.
  • Your guests forget about small talk and actually stop to look at the food, which somehow makes it taste better.
  • Prep time is genuinely short, so you can focus on the important part: enjoying your own party instead of stressing in the kitchen.
02 -
  • The balsamic glaze thickens as it cools, so don't overreduce it in the pan or it'll become rock hard when it cools completely.
  • Room temperature is the sweet spot for serving this, not cold, because the cheese needs to be soft and the meat flavor actually comes alive when it's not chilled.
  • Slice everything just thick enough to hold together but thin enough to eat in one bite, which feels important for some reason.
03 -
  • Use a very sharp knife to slice everything cleanly, because ragged edges make the stripes look accidental instead of intentional.
  • The balsamic reduction is the real flavor anchor, so taste it as it cools and add a tiny pinch more honey if it tastes too vinegary for your palate.
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