Much fanfare accompanies sitting downwards for dinner at a Korean barbecue restaurant. In that location's the party-similar atmosphere at many of these establishments, the oversized beers, the cacophonous chat from other tables, and the satisfying sizzle emanating from the grill. And then there's the food itself. The smell of charcoal and smoke and the crunch of meat from nearby tables is certain to go your tummy rumbling, just for first-timers, the menu might have a moment to navigate. Not only are there the banchan (side dishes) and drinks, but you'll accept to sift through an encyclopedia of meat cuts earlier deciding what you want.

At that place are the more familiar items, like bulgogi (thin slices of beef or pork) and galbi (beef curt ribs), only you'll also likely meet some cuts that are lesser known to American diners, similar beef tongue and pork jowl. To get a headstart, we've compiled a near-complete list of meat cuts yous might come beyond on the menu. Though you might find duck and seafood options at some restaurants, we'll simply be covering the near mutual meat cuts at a Korean barbecue eatery: beef, pork, and chicken, each of which is cooked on the grill at the table.

A few terms to call up: gui refers to grilled dishes in the world of Korean barbecue, and then you might meet the term galbi-gui (grilled short ribs) on the menu. Marinades are all important in Korean barbecue, and special designation is given to marinated and unmarinated dishes. Look for saeng on the bill of fare, which ways 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 meet saeng-galbi, that's the not-marinated version of short ribs, while yangnyeom-galbi is the name for the marinated version.

Keeping all that in mind, here are the most popular cuts of meat to try at a Korean charcoal-broil restaurant.

Marinated beef

Short steak (jumulleok): Typically paired with ssamjang (fermented soy bean and red pepper paste), this exceptionally tender cut of curt cut steak is marinated with sesame oil, soy sauce, minced garlic and onion, and pepper before it's grilled.

Beef short ribs (galbi or kalbi): Probably one of the most well known and dear cuts of meat in the pantheon of Korean barbecue, galbi, sometimes besides spelled kalbi, are thick beef short ribs. Traditionally cooked over woods charcoal, galbi uses a ganjang-based (Korean soy sauce) marinade. Galbi is sometimes served in ssam (lettuce wraps), and is topped with chili paste. One prominent version of galbi served in the United States is called LA galbi, which is cut across the bone, resulting in thinner, longer strips of meat.

Sirloin, ribeye, or brisket beef strips (bulgogi): This grilled beef dish consists of marinated thin slices of beef sirloin, ribeye, or brisket (dak and dwaeji bulgogi are the craven and pork versions, respectively). The classic bulgogi — which translates to fire meat — marinade consists of soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil, and garlic. Some other popular fashion 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 as galbisal, the name for this cut ways "rib meat." The meat has been cutting off os, and chopped into modest, bite-size pieces.

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

Unmarinated beef

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

Thin sliced brisket (chadolbaegi): Because these paper thin slices of brisket are not marinated before beingness grilled, they're immediately dipped in a sesame oil, salt, and pepper sauce after beingness cooked. The procedure is quick — it sometimes takes as little as ten seconds — and results in a melt-in-your-rima oris texture.

Sirloin steak (deungsim): This pick cut of tender, juicy steak has cute marbling. Loftier 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 fatty slices of beefiness abdomen are similar in appearance to bacon. Like chadolbaegi, the thin slices take only moments to cook.

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

Beefiness tongue (hyuh mit gui): Beefiness tongue doesn't come to the table whole. Instead information technology'southward presented as sparse-cutting rounds with sporadic marbling, sometimes laying flat or rolled into tubes.

Pork

Pork belly (samgyeopsal): Among the well-nigh pop Korean barbecue pork cuts, some urban legends say that Korean miners popularized fat pork abdomen. After the pork abdomen is grilled, the slices are dipped in red pepper paste, soybean paste, or sesame oil or served in a lettuce wrap. The proper 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 sus scrofa's 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 often favorably compared to beef because of its dark color and meaty flavour. 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 outside filled with egg, cheese, and kimchi. The egg cooks at the aforementioned fourth dimension as the pork, and they are oftentimes eaten together.

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

Chicken

Chicken thighs: Craven isn't well-nigh as popular at Korean barbecue restaurants every bit beef or pork, and you'll usually e'er notice it marinated to gainsay its banal flavor. Craven thighs marinated in a spicy garlic marinade is 1 of the most common cuts available.

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

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