Fresh & Cured Meats

Italians eat 70 kg of meat per person per annum, and more than a third of that is eaten in the form of pork. This is, of course, balanced by a large quantity of fresh vegetables and fruit. As is to be expected from the heartland of the Mediterranean diet, the average Italian meal, divided into anything from three to five courses, rarely includes large lumps of meat. A notable exception is the famous bistecca alla fiorentina, a huge T-bone steak that weighs at least 500 g per portion. The beef used for this dish comes from special beef cattle raised in a valley near Florence, the Val di Chiana. The steak is so tender that it is usually grilled and eaten rare, an exception for Italians who prefer their meat to be slightly more thoroughly cooked.