The 5 Can't-Skip Cuts Of Meat To Order At Korean BBQ

Few dining experiences compare to eating Korean barbecue. From the moment you sit down, it's a steady stream of delicious side dishes known as banchan, which usually consists of pickled and fermented vegetables like kimchi, plus scallion pancakes, stews, and salads. It's overwhelming in the best way, but it's just a precursor to the main event: the perfectly tender and sometimes marinated cuts of meat, all cooked on a tabletop grill right in front of you. Whether you wrap the meats in lettuce or rice paper, dip them in various sauces, or simply enjoy them as they are, it's a flavor explosion. All topped off with a boozy side of soju or beer, Korean barbecue isn't just an undeniably delicious culinary endeavor, it's a fun, warm experience perfect for sharing with friends and loved ones.

Many Korean barbecue restaurants offer a long list of meats to choose from; cuts of pork, beef, poultry, and even seafood are typically available. And "long" isn't hyperbole, there are sometimes more than 20 cuts of pork and 100 cuts of beef to choose from. But, if you're unfamiliar, how do you know which ones are a must-have? Especially given that these meats will be grilled on a high-heat, open flame, it's not your run of the mill cut of steak you'd prepare at home. To get you started, here are five must-have cuts of meat to order at your next KBBQ outing.

Thinly sliced beef brisket, or chadolbaegi, is a must-try at any Korean barbecue spot. Typically, when most think of brisket in America, it's a thick-cut slab cooked low and slow. Chadolbaegi is cut extremely thin, so thin you can grill it on high heat for a few minutes to achieve a perfectly seared, tender bite. A thicker cut of brisket can, at times, be quite chewy or hard to cut through, whereas chadolbaegi melts in your mouth.

The key to getting that signature melt-in-your-mouth texture comes from having a perfect cut of brisket that is not only thin but also still has plenty of marbled fat. If the slice of meat is all red, it probably means the brisket is too lean. Without that fat, the meat will quickly turn unpleasantly dry when cooked at a high heat. However, when the ratio of fat to meat is just right, it's absolutely one of the best cuts to grace your grill.

For a slightly more decadent, even richer cut, you can't go wrong with pork belly. Often the star of Korean barbecue, and in some cases, a meat that restaurants will specifically specialize in, pork belly really gets sizzling on the grill. Its high fat content allows it to render when cooked, giving it an extra succulent texture and a nearly caramelized flavor. Unlike brisket, pork belly appears almost a translucent shade of pink with that noticeable, thick layer of white — the fat. It's usually cut thin to keep the meat tender, but some spots offer a thicker cut, which tends to be a bit chewier. Temperature is important when it comes to cooking a tougher cut of pork. That's why Korean barbecue is the perfect method — high heat and a quick cooking time makes for an exquisitely tender pork belly experience.

There are a few different ways to enjoy pork belly. As a fattier meat, it pairs perfectly with the leaner, more vegetable-focused banchan side dishes. You can put it in a wrap, or ssam as it's called, which is typically lettuce or minty perilla leaf. Sometimes restaurants offer ssam mu, which is a thin, round slice of pickled radish to use as a wrap. Then, dip it in ssamjang, a spicy fermented soybean sauce for an extra kick. Very high-quality cuts can be enjoyed on their own, or simply dipped into a small amount of sea salt. No matter how you eat it, pork belly is a can't miss.

You've probably enjoyed a plate of short ribs before. They tend to be luscious and soft, and, when prepared properly, fall right off the bone. Korean marinated short ribs, or galbi as they're known, aren't that far off in texture and flavor from the short ribs you probably know, but they're just as much, if not more delicious. Galbi is made from flanken short ribs, which are sliced thinly across the bone as opposed to alongside it like English-cut short ribs. The result is a perfectly thin, tender cut of meat that has a small portion of the bone still attached — perfect for a handheld bite.

Traditionally, galbi is marinated for hours in a soy sauce-based mixture with ginger and garlic. When it hits the grill, the high heat brings out all of those sweet, smoky flavors. The marinade gives short ribs such a bold flavor that dressing them up with sauces or side dishes is not required. However, you can use scissors to cut the meat from the bone and enjoy them with sharp or spicy accompaniments like green chiles.

If you've ever enjoyed tender homemade bulgogi or Korean barbecued beef, then you've tried deungshim, better known as sirloin. It's one of the most popular cuts of meat to use in Korean barbecue Stateside, and also one of the most versatile. Bulgogi calls for the sirloin to be tenderized and marinated for several hours in a salty, sweet mixture, but grilled beef sirloin has such a powerful flavor that it can stand on its own. Sirloin is one of the best cuts of beef there is and it comes from the area between the rib and hip bone of a cow. It's a slightly leaner but marbled cut, so there's still plenty of fat to inject flavor.

Sirloin is sometimes overlooked as a meat to order on its own because it's leaner and often used in dishes like bulgogi where there's a heavy marinade to tenderize it. But, if the restaurant has high-quality sirloin it should be as tasty and tender as any other cut. Try searing it on each side until medium to medium rare, and then slice it up to enjoy.

You'd be remiss not to go all-out on the exceptional pork and beef at Korean barbecue, but there issas a poultry option that shouldn't be overlooked. Chicken thighs, or dalg heobeogj, are a delightfully tender cut of dark meat with skin that gets perfectly crispy when cooked on the grill. Because there's more fat than in white meat, thighs render tons of flavor and juice; coupled with the crunch from the skin, it's a nice variation in texture that's much needed.

Like any cut of poultry, you want to ensure that your thighs are cooked through on the grill before serving. Use the provided scissors to cut the full pieces up into bite-sized morsels and try dipping them into cho ganjang, a soy-based vinegar sauce with a kick. While sometimes served with beef cuts like brisket, its tangy sweetness makes a great foil for grilled chicken.