Cary carnivores are salivating at the sound of a sizzling grill. Aromas wafting through the neighborhood are a sure sign that grilling season is in full swing.

But before you make the unthinkable (yet very common) mistake of overcooking and ruining your next grilled meal, consider these tips from master of meat and The Meat House Assistant General Manager Jeff Gregory. He is an encyclopedia of butchery and walks customers daily through the process of cooking or grilling any cut of meat to perfection.

1. Get the meat (in this case, ribeye) out of the fridge and let it rest for 30 minutes. This allows the center to slowly warm to room temperature and prevent burning.
2. Turn the grill to high heat (600 degrees or so) and sear the outside, cooking a couple of minutes on each side.
3. Finish cooking the meat on medium heat (450 degrees) and keep the grill closed, treating it like an oven.
4. Let the meat rest 15 minutes before it’s cut so the juices can return to the center.

In addition to overcooking, Gregory said the average griller turns hamburgers too early, which make them stick to the grill.

“You only need to flip burgers once,” he said. “When the juices rise to the top, flip them to the other side.”

The fact is Gregory and the staff butchers at The Meat House, which recently opened in Cary and is the company’s first location in North Carolina, are experts at customizing cuts of meat from their large assortment of beef, chicken, pork and turkey. According to Manager Derek Wilkins, there are always two full-service butchers on staff.

Gregory said the No. 1 request is braciola, which is a popular thin slice of meat often prepared rolled with spices, cheese or prosciutto ham as an Italian dish. Part of the meat mélange are marinated beef tips ready to cook in a variety of flavors like the house Italian, Cajun, burgundy wine, garlic pepper, sweet BBQ and cilantro lime, to name a few. Even exotic meats like buffalo, venison, alligator, boar and ostrich are available.

Wilkins added that their beef is all natural and certified to have no hormones, antibiotics or growth steroids. They are pasture grass fed then finished with an all-natural vegetarian corn diet from Creek Stone Farms in Kansas.

The butchers can even recommend a nice bottle of wine or microbrew to pair with the meat from their selection. Shoppers can complete their meal with the gourmet grocery section, which offers a variety of local products as well as fresh produce from local farmers. The Meat House also serves sandwiches during lunch with Boar’s Head meats. Outdoor seating is available.