Beef cuts for Korean BBQ

English and Korean names, primals, and tabletop notes. Pop-art plates of each cut — the same comic style as the journal.

Ribeye

등심 deungsim · 꽃등심 kkotdeungsim

The cut most people mean when they say “steakhouse KBBQ.” Flower loin (kkotdeungsim) is the heavily marbled section Korean butchers highlight.

Primal: Rib primal (longissimus dorsi, spinalis cap)
Best method: High-heat tabletop charcoal or cast-iron sear
Flavor: Rich, juicy, full beef flavor
KBBQ prep: Usually unmarinated; thick or bite-size pieces
Marbling: Naturally high marbling — the classic steakhouse showpiece
Tenderness: Intermediate to tender (cap is especially soft)

Wagyu A5

와규 A5 · 일본 최고 등급

A5 is yield letter A plus quality grade 5 on the Japanese scale — not a cut name, but a marbling league. Sold by the ounce because richness saturates quickly.

Primal: Typically loin / ribeye (longissimus) from Japanese graded carcasses
Best method: Brief high heat; small portions only
Flavor: Sweet, buttery fat; satiety hits fast
KBBQ prep: Slice thin; never overcook; rice and greens nearby
Marbling: BMS 8–12 — extreme intramuscular fat web
Tenderness: Luxury melt rather than classic steak chew

Wagyu (American / Crossbred)

와규 · 아메리칸 와규

“Wagyu” on U.S. menus often means American Wagyu genetics (crossbred or fullblood). Expect more marbling than Prime, at a friendlier price-per-bite than A5 ounces.

Primal: Usually ribeye, strip, or chuck specialties from F1–fullblood programs
Best method: Hot sear or tabletop; slightly thicker than A5 slices
Flavor: Rich beef with more structure than pure A5 melt
KBBQ prep: Great share plate between Prime volume and A5 punctuation
Marbling: Abundant, but usually less dense than Japanese A5
Tenderness: Very tender when not cooked past medium

Filet Mignon

안심 ansim / anshim

Korean steakhouses list ansim as the soft, lean counterpoint to ribeye. Order it when you want texture more than marbling fireworks.

Primal: Tenderloin (psoas major) — least-worked loin muscle
Best method: High heat, quick; whole roast as Chateaubriand
Flavor: Mild beef — pair with sauces, ssam, or salted fat
KBBQ prep: Bite-size pieces; avoid paper-thin or it dries out
Marbling: Low; mild flavor without a fat cap story
Tenderness: Most tender muscle in classic shear rankings

Bone-in Galbi

갈비 galbi / 양념갈비 yangnyeom-galbi

Traditional galbi is the celebratory cut: scored, marinated, and grilled until glossy. Grill plain cuts before sugar-heavy marinades to protect the grate.

Primal: Short rib, traditional Korean cut
Best method: Charcoal or gas tabletop; re-brush marinade carefully
Flavor: Smoky-sweet when grilled well
KBBQ prep: Score surface; Korean pear in marinade; refresh the grate when charred
Marbling: High-fat group; marinades common
Tenderness: Serratus ventralis ranks tender among beef muscles

LA Galbi

LA갈비 LA-galbi

Named for Los Angeles Korean butcher practice: whole racks sliced thin across the bones so bone “coins” peek along the edge.

Primal: Flanken-cut short rib across the bones
Best method: Fast high-heat tabletop grilling
Flavor: Sweet-savory soy-garlic profile when marinated
KBBQ prep: Cross-cut for tenderness; sugar burns — watch the grate
Marbling: Depends on rib section; marinade carries sweetness
Tenderness: Thin cross-grain cut makes it eat tender

Brisket

양지 yangji · point & flat

Brisket is a choose-your-own-adventure primal: smoke the packer for hours, or ask for chadolbaegi paper-thin slices that crisp in seconds on the table grill.

Primal: Brisket primal — breast; point (fattier) and flat (leaner)
Best method: Tabletop paper-thin (chadol) or low-and-slow smoke/braise
Flavor: Deep beef; Texas bark vs Korean grate-seasoning richness
KBBQ prep: Same primal, opposite geometries — thickness decides the method
Marbling: Point is fattier; flat is leaner and denser
Tenderness: Tough whole; tender when sliced thin or smoked for hours

Chadolbaegi

차돌박이 chadolbaegi

The classic opening cut: seasons the grill, resets the palate, and proves why geometry (1–2 mm slices) beats low-and-slow for this primal at the table.

Primal: Brisket point, paper-thin sliced
Best method: Seconds on a ripping-hot plate; eat while edges crisp
Flavor: Deep richness; often the first cut of the meal
KBBQ prep: Unmarinated; sesame oil–salt–pepper dip
Marbling: Dense fat seams — richness without thick marbling flecks
Tenderness: Whole muscle is tough; thin slice is the tenderizing trick

Hanger Steak

토시살 tosisal

Only one hanger (sometimes misspelled “hangar”) per animal. Korean steakhouses treat tosisal as a specialty — deep flavor without A5 price tags.

Primal: Hanging tender / diaphragm support muscle
Best method: Direct fire; stop at medium-rare
Flavor: Concentrated beefy, almost organ-adjacent
KBBQ prep: Cook thicker, then slice for sharing
Marbling: Some marbling; membrane must come off first
Tenderness: Tender if not overcooked; tightens past medium

Flank Steak

플랭크 · 치마살 family (related belly/flank zone)

Flank is a long-grain cut that rewards a sharp knife. Marinate, sear hard, and carve thin across the grain for weeknight KBBQ energy without short-rib prices.

Primal: Flank (abdominal), long grain running lengthwise
Best method: Hot grill, medium-rare; always slice against the grain
Flavor: Bold beef, great for bulgogi-style marinades
KBBQ prep: Not always on classic tabletop menus; common at home and fusion spots
Marbling: Moderate; benefits from marinade
Tenderness: Medium — grain direction is everything

Flat Iron

부채살 buchaesal

Buchaesal (“fan meat”) is the smart order: steak-like satisfaction without tenderloin prices. Remove the central seam if your butcher left it.

Primal: Infraspinatus (shoulder blade), deseamed
Best method: Tabletop grill or brief reverse sear
Flavor: Rich chuck-primal beefiness
KBBQ prep: Also used marinated for bulgogi-style service
Marbling: Medium fat; strong beef for the price
Tenderness: Second-most tender muscle in classic rankings (after tenderloin)

Outside Skirt

안창살 anchangsal

Anchangsal is the flavor bomb of the neighborhood table: not as buttery as ribeye, but louder. Pull medium-rare and slice thin.

Primal: Diaphragm / short plate skirt
Best method: Marinate optional; sear 2–3 minutes per side; slice on a bias
Flavor: One of the beefiest tastes on the animal
KBBQ prep: Premium because yield is tiny per cow
Marbling: Light flecks; membrane removed for a cleaner bite
Tenderness: Flavor-first; slice across the grain at 45°

Salchisal (Zabuton)

살치살 salchisal

Japan calls it zabuton (cushion). In Korea, top-grade salchisal is a destination order — dense marbling without needing A5 branding.

Primal: Chuck flap / serratus anterior “cushion”
Best method: Grill immediately as a thin steak
Flavor: Juicy, savory fat; a luxury tabletop cut
KBBQ prep: Small portions; eat hot off the grate
Marbling: Excellent — shimofuri web in high grades
Tenderness: Very tender; scarce (only a few kg per cow)

Pork Belly

삼겹살 samgyeopsal

Samgyeopsal is the social cut of Korean BBQ: thick belly strips, shared tongs, lettuce wraps. Beef may headline steakhouses, but belly still runs the neighborhood table.

Primal: Belly — layered skin, fat, and lean (three-layer namesake)
Best method: Tabletop grill until edges blister; not rushed
Flavor: Pork richness; classic with ssam, ssamjang, raw garlic
KBBQ prep: Often the group’s default order; thick slices preferred
Marbling: Fat is the story — thick seams between lean
Tenderness: Tender when fat renders; chewy if undercooked