What Is Korean BBQ? 5 Elements of a Korean BBQ Meal

Korean barbecue (also abbreviated as Korean BBQ or KBBQ) refers to a method of cooking cuts of marinated meats. You can marinate the meat in a variety of flavors, like soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, gochujang, and others before grilling it. At Korean barbecue restaurants, there might be a gas or charcoal grill built right into the table. In Korean cuisine, the experience of making barbecue right at your table can be just as important as the flavor of the dish itself.

Korean side dishes, or banchan, that might accompany Korean barbecue include kimchi, veggies, rice, pajeori (a green onion salad), and others. You will find them in small bowls set in the center of the table. Korean cooks might serve banchan as a first course of sorts, then replenish the food throughout the meal so that guests can enjoy it alongside the main course, which is the Korean-style barbecue itself.

In many countries, the term barbecue refers to the cooking method that involves grilling meat and other foods. In that way, Korean barbecue is very similar to other kinds of barbecue. However, barbecue has taken on many different nuanced meanings around the world. Here are a few types of barbecue and how they compare to Korean barbecue:

• United States barbecue: Some people refer to barbecue in the United States as American barbecue; however, it’s important to note that barbecue styles vary greatly from region to region throughout the Americas. US barbecue is popular and differs from Korean barbecue mostly in the type of meat. Korean barbecue commonly utilizes small, tender cuts like beef tongue, beef short ribs, pork belly, and chicken. In the US, barbecue might use big cuts of meat like brisket, whole chickens, pork butts, pork ribs, and big steaks like sirloin and rib-eye. Typical sides for US barbecue dishes include macaroni and cheese, potato salad, collard greens, and bread, such as cornbread or white bread. In the US, it’s common to smoke meat before barbecuing it, whereas in Korea, barbecue starts with raw, marinated meat.
• Jamaican barbecue: Focused mainly on spiced chicken and pork, Jamaican barbecue is famous for its jerk chicken—the spicy national dish of Jamaica. The term jerk refers to the seasoning, consisting of allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers, both of which come from Caribbean plants. Cooks might grill the meat whole, skewered, or separated into parts like chicken thighs or pork loin over a smoky fire of burning wood. By comparison, Korean barbecue focuses on a balance of flavors in the marinade, preferably without any one overpowering another. Korean marinades are heavier in soy sauce, ginger, rice wine, sesame oil, and brown sugar.
• Japanese barbecue: There are a few main differences between Korean barbecue and Japanese barbecue. Korean side dishes always accompany the main course in a Korean barbecue restaurant, but only a few raw vegetables accompany Japanese barbecue. Additionally, Japanese barbecue relies on a dipping sauce of some kind, as opposed to a meat marinade, as in Korean barbecue. The piece of meat also differs. In Korea, barbecue uses marinated beef, pork, and chicken, whereas in Japan, the barbecue focuses more squarely on beef.

A traditional Korean barbecue experience includes different elements, all of which play key roles in the meal. Here are several components you will encounter in Korean barbecue:

• Meat: Typically, a Korean barbecue restaurant will feature one type of meat, whether that is pork, chicken, or beef. You will generally have the choice of which part of the animal you want. While pork belly (samgyeopsal) is the most common, the intestines, neck, leg, and skin might also be options. Once the meat arrives at your table, you cook it yourself over a grill in the center of the table. Flip it with chopsticks and cut it into smaller pieces with special scissors (usually provided).
• Ssam: In Korean barbecue, ssam is the term for the meat and veggies after you wrap them in leaves. Use lettuce leaves, perilla leaves, sesame leaves, or a combination with the grilled meat. Add some vegetables like seasoned scallions, seasoned bean sprouts, radishes, or cucumbers.
• Sauce: To the meat and vegetables, add ssamjang, a sauce of soybean paste and red pepper paste. The sauce features umami flavor and complementary ingredients, but it shouldn’t overpower the rest of the flavors in the ssam.
• Drinks: Wash down your Korean barbecue with a traditional beverage like soju, a popular Korean wine, or other light drink, as Korean barbecue ingredients can be on the rich side.
• Extras: Stews are common at Korean barbecue restaurants. Doenjang jjigae is a fermented bean paste stew that often arrives toward the end of the meal. It’s a brothy stew with protein and vegetables, and you can enjoy it with rice and kimchi. This Korean dish is a classic comfort food with many variations.

There are several Korean barbecue dishes you can serve, including:

1. 1. Bibimbap: A Korean mixed rice dish, bibimbap includes meat and vegetables. There are many possibilities and variations of this dish based on your personal preferences with regard to flavors and textures. Traditional bibimbap uses raw meat and a raw egg yolk, but many versions use cooked meat and a fried egg.
2. 2. Bulgogi: A very common Korean barbecue dish, bulgogi consists of thinly sliced beef that cooks marinate for a few hours then grill over high heat. You can find this dish at any Korean barbecue restaurant or cook it yourself in a very hot cast-iron skillet at home. The sugar in the marinade produces charred crispy bits full of flavor and texture. Top the whole plate of cooked meat with sesame seeds.
3. 3. Galbi: Marinated beef short ribs, galbi is a Korean barbecue dish you can easily make at home if you want to try a classic dish outside of a restaurant. Galbi is a type of kalbi, which refers to any grilled dish consisting of marinated short ribs, either beef or pork.
4. 4. Japchae: A noodle stir-fry dish that is popular during the Korean festive holidays, japchae consists of glass noodles made of sweet potatoes plus seasoned meat and plenty of vegetables. Japchae can be a side dish to a bigger meal, or you can serve it over a bed of rice, similar to bibimbap, for a heartier main course.

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