How to Grill Italian Meats

• 1. Prep (cut): Before firing up your grill, prepare your meat. Cut it as you'd like to serve it, keeping in mind that the meat cooks best when it's even in thickness. Thicker meats take longer to look.



• 2. Prep (marinate): Italian marinades are ideal for many meats, as they add flavor and help lock in moisture. You can make an olive-oil based marinade by adding spices and ingredients like vinegar, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Refrigerate your meat overnight; or if you're short on time, let it sit in the marinade for at least an hour before grilling. If you're grilling steak, you may also want to consider using a meat tenderizer.



• 3. Grill (cook): Turn on the grill and make sure it's hot before you begin grilling your meat. Once the grill is hot, you may place the meat directly on the grill, on kebabs (meat skewered with a variety of vegetables), in tin foil or in a grilling basket. Cook thoroughly on one side until you see distinct grill lines, then turn over. When rotating your meat, be careful not to pierce it and release juices.



• 4. Grill (when to know it's done): Depending on the meat you choose, grilling time varies. Check out grilling charts like this one to see how long you should cook it. Meats like chicken should be cooked carefully and thoroughly, while steaks have more leeway as they can be rare or well done. For beef, grill the meat until it's almost done, as it will still cook on its own a bit after you remove it from the grill.



• 5. Post-grilling and serving: After you grill your meat, serve it right away with fresh vegetables and pasta. You you may add sauces like marsala, marinara or a bit of olive oil for an authentic Italian grilled taste.

Now that you have the main course down, check out How to Grill Italian Vegetables and Other Italian Foods You Can Grill.