Brettljause: Alpine Snack Board With Cheese and Cured Meats

Imperial October 25, 2026October 25, 2026

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

Brettljause: Austrian Alpine Snack Board. A generous wooden board of dark rye bread, mountain cheese, cured meats, crunchy pickles, and freshly grated horseradish. It is a relaxed, no-cook spread made for sharing.

Yield: 4 generous snack servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes, including 15 minutes of cheese tempering

Quick Ingredients

320 g dark rye or rye-sourdough bread, cut into 8 slices
200 g aged mountain cheese, such as Bergkäse
120 g thinly sliced, ready-to-eat dry-cured speck
100 g ready-to-eat dry-cured sausage, such as Landjäger
40 g unsalted butter, softened
120 g cornichons and 80 g pickled pearl onions, both drained
120 g radishes and 60 g red onion
30 g peeled fresh horseradish and 10 ml fresh lemon juice
40 g whole-grain mustard
8 g fresh chives, finely snipped

Do This

1. Take the cheese and butter out of the refrigerator; let them stand for 15 minutes while you prepare everything else.
2. Drain the pickles, halve the radishes, and thinly slice the red onion.
3. Finely grate the horseradish and mix it with the lemon juice in a small serving bowl.
4. Slice the bread, cut the cheese into small wedges, and slice the sausage on the diagonal.
5. Arrange the bread, cheese, folded speck, sausage, vegetables, and pickles on a large food-safe wooden board.
6. Add the butter, mustard, and horseradish in separate dishes; finish with chives and serve immediately.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

No cooking required: A little slicing and thoughtful arranging turn good ingredients into an inviting spread.
Big Alpine flavors: Nutty cheese, smoky cured meats, tangy pickles, and sharp horseradish balance one another beautifully.
Easy to share: Everyone can build their own bites, from buttered rye with speck to cheese topped with mustard and onion.
Flexible and practical: Use your favorite local mountain cheese and ready-to-eat cured meats without losing the board’s rustic character.

Grocery List

Produce: 120 g radishes, 60 g red onion, enough fresh horseradish root to yield 30 g peeled, 1 lemon for 10 ml juice, and 8 g chives.
Dairy: 200 g aged mountain cheese and 40 g unsalted butter.
Cured Meats: 120 g thinly sliced speck and 100 g dry-cured sausage; choose products labeled ready to eat.
Pantry: 320 g dark rye bread, 120 g drained cornichons, 80 g drained pickled pearl onions, and 40 g whole-grain mustard.

Full Ingredients

Bread, Cheese, and Butter

320 g dark rye or rye-sourdough bread: Cut into 8 slices, approximately 1 cm thick, then halve larger slices for easy sharing.
200 g aged mountain cheese: Austrian Bergkäse is especially fitting; Gruyère or a firm Alpine-style cheese also works.
40 g unsalted butter: Softened just enough to spread.

Cured Meats

120 g ready-to-eat dry-cured speck: Thinly sliced; this lightly smoked cured ham brings a characteristic Alpine flavor.
100 g ready-to-eat dry-cured sausage: Landjäger or a similar firm, smoked sausage, cut into 5 mm diagonal slices.

Pickles and Fresh Vegetables

120 g cornichons, drained: Leave small ones whole; halve larger ones lengthwise.
80 g pickled pearl onions, drained.
120 g radishes: Washed, trimmed, and halved.
60 g red onion: Peeled and sliced into approximately 2 mm half-moons.

Horseradish and Finishing Touches

30 g fresh horseradish: Weighed after peeling and finely grated just before serving.
10 ml fresh lemon juice: To moisten the horseradish and help limit discoloration.
40 g whole-grain mustard.
8 g fresh chives: Finely snipped.

Brettljause: Alpine Snack Board With Cheese and Cured Meats – Closeup

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Temper the cheese and set up your board

Take the cheese and butter out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before arranging the board. Keep the cured meats refrigerated until you are ready to slice and arrange them. Set out a clean, food-safe wooden board approximately 40 × 30 cm, along with four small dishes for the butter, mustard, horseradish, and pickled onions.

The cheese tastes best when it is not refrigerator-cold. A cool room temperature of approximately 18–21°C (64–70°F) is ideal for this brief tempering period. No heating or cooking is needed.

Step 2: Prepare the pickles and vegetables

Drain the cornichons and pickled pearl onions well, then blot away excess brine with a clean kitchen towel. Halve any large cornichons lengthwise. Wash and trim the radishes, then cut them in half. Slice the red onion into approximately 2 mm half-moons and gently separate the layers.

Keep the pickled onions in their serving dish so their brine does not soak into the bread. Dry the radishes thoroughly to keep the board neat.

Step 3: Grate the fresh horseradish

Finely grate 30 g peeled horseradish using a fine grater. Work in a ventilated area and keep your face back from the grater; freshly grated horseradish can be surprisingly pungent. Transfer it to a small serving dish, stir in 10 ml lemon juice, and cover until you assemble the board.

The finished horseradish should remain loose and fluffy, not become a sauce. Serve it separately so everyone can choose how much heat to add.

Step 4: Slice the bread, cheese, and sausage

Cut the bread into 8 slices approximately 1 cm thick, halving any oversized slices. Leave it untoasted for the traditional combination of chewy crust and dense, tender crumb. Cut the cheese into small wedges or thick, bite-sized slices.

Slice the dry-cured sausage on the diagonal into 5 mm pieces. Separate the speck slices and fold them loosely rather than pressing them flat; this makes them easier to pick up and gives the board a generous appearance.

Step 5: Build a balanced sharing board

Place the small dishes on the board first, filling them with the butter, mustard, horseradish, and pickled onions. Arrange the bread along one edge, then create separate clusters of cheese, folded speck, and sliced sausage around the dishes.

Tuck the cornichons, radishes, and red onion into the open spaces. Keep the bread away from wet pickles and leave enough room around each ingredient for guests to help themselves easily.

Step 6: Finish and serve

Scatter the 8 g snipped chives over the cheese, butter, and radishes, leaving the cured meats mostly uncovered. Add a butter knife, a small cheese knife, and spoons for the mustard and horseradish. Serve immediately.

For a classic bite, spread butter on rye bread, add a folded slice of speck, and finish with a small pinch of horseradish. Follow with a cornichon or radish for a crisp, refreshing contrast.

Pro Tips

Choose contrasting textures: Dense rye bread, firm aged cheese, delicate speck, and crunchy vegetables make each bite more interesting.
Grate horseradish at the last minute: Its lively aroma and sharp flavor are best when freshly prepared. Start with a small pinch on your bread.
Skip extra salt: Cured meats, cheese, mustard, and pickles already bring plenty of seasoning.
Keep wet and dry ingredients apart: Small bowls and thoroughly drained pickles prevent soggy bread.
Buy ready-to-eat meats: Fresh sausages and raw pork are not suitable substitutes for the dry-cured products used here.

Variations

Different Alpine cheeses: Replace the 200 g Bergkäse with 100 g Gruyère and 100 g Emmental for a slightly milder, two-cheese board.
Vegetarian board: Omit both meats and add 150 g extra mountain cheese, 150 g drained pickled mushrooms, and 60 g toasted walnuts. Check that the cheese uses vegetarian rennet if needed.
Pantry-friendly horseradish: Replace the fresh horseradish and lemon juice with 40 g prepared grated horseradish, drained if very wet. Choose a plain version rather than a creamy horseradish sauce.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Up to 24 hours ahead, drain the pickles, wash and halve the radishes, slice the red onion, and portion the cheese and meats. Refrigerate everything in separate airtight containers at 4°C (40°F) or below. Keep the bread wrapped separately at room temperature, and grate the horseradish shortly before serving.

Refrigerate leftover cheese, meats, vegetables, and condiments promptly in separate containers. Use assembled-board leftovers within 2 days, or sooner if a package’s instructions require it; the radishes and onions will lose some crispness. Keep bread separate to avoid absorbing moisture. Discard perishable foods left out for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when the temperature is above 32°C (90°F).

Nutrition (per serving)

Estimated for one-quarter of the complete board, including bread, butter, mustard, and horseradish. Values vary with the cheese, cured meats, and pickles used.