Much fanfare accompanies sitting down for dinner at a Korean barbecue restaurant. At that place'south the party-like atmosphere at many of these establishments, the oversized beers, the clinking conversation from other tables, and the satisfying sizzle emanating from the grill. And then at that place'south the nutrient itself. The odor of charcoal and smoke and the crisis of meat from nearby tables is sure to become your stomach rumbling, but for start-timers, the menu might have a moment to navigate. Non only are there the banchan (side dishes) and drinks, but y'all'll have to sift through an encyclopedia of meat cuts before deciding what you want.

There are the more familiar items, similar bulgogi (sparse slices of beef or pork) and galbi (beef brusque ribs), but you'll as well probable encounter some cuts that are bottom known to American diners, like beef tongue and pork jowl. To get a headstart, we've compiled a near-complete list of meat cuts yous might come up beyond on the menu. Though you might find duck and seafood options at some restaurants, we'll just exist covering the virtually common meat cuts at a Korean barbecue eatery: beefiness, pork, and chicken, each of which is cooked on the grill at the table.

A few terms to remember: gui refers to grilled dishes in the earth of Korean charcoal-broil, so you might encounter the term galbi-gui (grilled short ribs) on the menu. Marinades are all of import in Korean barbecue, and special designation is given to marinated and unmarinated dishes. Look for saeng on the menu, which means raw in Korean, but in this context simply translates to unmarinated. On the other hand, the term yangnyeom refers to a meat that is marinated. So if you come across saeng-galbi, that'south the non-marinated version of short ribs, while yangnyeom-galbi is the proper noun for the marinated version.

Keeping all that in heed, here are the well-nigh popular cuts of meat to try at a Korean barbecue restaurant.

Marinated beef

Short steak (jumulleok): Typically paired with ssamjang (fermented soy bean and cherry pepper paste), this uncommonly tender cut of short cut steak is marinated with sesame oil, soy sauce, minced garlic and onion, and pepper before information technology's grilled.

Beef short ribs (galbi or kalbi): Probably one of the most well known and dearest cuts of meat in the pantheon of Korean charcoal-broil, galbi, sometimes also spelled kalbi, are thick beef brusk ribs. Traditionally cooked over wood charcoal, galbi uses a ganjang-based (Korean soy sauce) marinade. Galbi is sometimes served in ssam (lettuce wraps), and is topped with chili paste. I prominent version of galbi served in the U.s. is called LA galbi, which is cut beyond the os, resulting in thinner, longer strips of meat.

Sirloin, ribeye, or brisket beefiness strips (bulgogi): This grilled beefiness dish consists of marinated thin slices of beef sirloin, ribeye, or brisket (dak and dwaeji bulgogi are the chicken and pork versions, respectively). The classic bulgogi — which translates to fire meat — marinade consists of soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil, and garlic. Another pop way to prepare bulgogi is to stir fry the meat. The finished dish is typically served on a bed of rice or noodles, adorned with mushrooms and scallions.

Thin cut rib meat (kalbisal): Besides known every bit galbisal, the name for this cut ways "rib meat." The meat has been cut off bone, and chopped into small-scale, bite-size pieces.

Finger short ribs (nook gan sal): So named because the size and shape of these strips of beef resemble fingers, nook gan sal are a less common style of short rib.

Unmarinated beefiness

Chimasal (flank steak): Flank steak is cut from the abdominal muscles of the cow. It's one of the nigh lean cuts of beef, with very little fat marbling, and cooks chop-chop.

Sparse sliced brisket (chadolbaegi): Because these paper thin slices of brisket are not marinated before being grilled, they're immediately dipped in a sesame oil, table salt, and pepper sauce after being cooked. The process is quick — information technology sometimes takes as petty as ten seconds — and results in a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Sirloin steak (deungsim): This pick cut of tender, juicy steak has beautiful marbling. High quality marbled sirloin is called kkotdeungsim. The "kkot" designation means flower, a reference to the steak's intricate marbling.

Thin sliced beef belly (usamgyeop): These fat slices of beefiness belly are similar in appearance to bacon. Like chadolbaegi, the sparse slices have simply moments to melt.

Beef tenderloin (andeungsi): This lean cut of tenderloin beef is well marbled, which helps it stay juicy and flavorful while cooking.

Beef natural language (hyuh mit gui): Beef tongue doesn't come up to the table whole. Instead information technology's presented every bit thin-cut rounds with desultory marbling, sometimes laying flat or rolled into tubes.

Pork

Pork belly (samgyeopsal): Among the most popular Korean barbecue pork cuts, some urban legends say that Korean miners popularized fat pork belly. Afterward the pork belly is grilled, the slices are dipped in red pepper paste, soybean paste, or sesame oil or served in a lettuce wrap. The name samgyeopsal ways "three layered meat," a reference to alternate layers of fat and meat.

Pork chop (moksal): Though "mok" means neck in Korean, these pork chops are actually derived from the pig'due south shoulder. Moksal isn't served whole, but rather cut into smaller pieces during the grilling procedure.

Pork skirt-meat (galmaegisal): This leaner cut of pork is oftentimes favorably compared to beef because of its dark color and meaty flavor. Galmaegisal is a homonym for seagull in Korean, but there are no birds involved. At some restaurants, the grill on which the pork is cooked sometimes features a deep ring on the exterior filled with egg, cheese, and kimchi. The egg cooks at the same fourth dimension as the pork, and they are often eaten together.

Pork jowl (hanjeongsal): Reminiscent of short strips of bacon, well marbled pork jowl tends to be on the chewier side, but the fatty is often cooked until crispy for a satisfying combination of textures.

Chicken

Chicken thighs: Chicken isn't about as popular at Korean barbecue restaurants as beef or pork, and you'll commonly ever detect it marinated to combat its bland season. Chicken thighs marinated in a spicy garlic marinade is 1 of the near common cuts bachelor.

Buldak: A spicy-sweet sauce is the signature ingredient of "fire chicken." Bone-in chicken thighs marinated in this deep red dressing are charred on the grill. Though they can be eaten plain, a gooey layer of cheese is sometimes added to the elevation of the cooked chicken.

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