Korean barbecue
Regional style of food preparation
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The most representative form of gogi-gui is bulgogi, usually made from thinly sliced marinated beef sirloin or tenderloin. Another popular form is galbi, made from marinated beef short ribs. However, gogi-gui also includes many other kinds of marinated and unmarinated meat dishes, and can be divided into several categories. Korean barbecue is popular in its home country. It gained its global popularity through Hallyu, more commonly known as the "Korean Wave", a term that describes the rise in popularity of Korean culture abroad during the 1990s and 2000s.
History
Maekjeok (Korean: 맥적; Hanja: 貊炙) from Goguryeo era (37 BCE–668 CE) is the oldest record related to Korean barbecue. During the Joseon period (1392–1897), roasted beef Neobiani was a favorite of the Joseon royal family.
Korean barbecue spread to Japan around the 1910–1945 Japanese colonial period. It was adapted to Japanese tastes, and now persists today as yakiniku.
In the Philippines, unlimited Korean barbecue chains like Samgyupsalamat became popular in the late 2010s, often serving samgyeopsal with unlimited rice and side dishes.
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Varieties
Marinated barbecue meats
Bulgogi (불고기) is the most popular variety of Korean barbecue. Before cooking, the meat is marinated with a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, ginger, scallions, sesame oil, garlic and pepper. Pears are also traditionally used in the marinade to help tenderize the meat, but kiwi and pineapple have also been used more recently. It is traditionally cooked using gridirons or perforated dome griddles that sit on braziers, but pan cooking has become common as well.
Galbi (갈비) is made with beef short ribs, marinated in a sauce that may contain mirin, soy sauce, water, garlic, brown sugar, sugar and sliced onions. It is believed to taste best when grilled with charcoal or soot (숯, burned wood chips).
Jumulleok (주물럭) is short steak marinated with sesame oil, salt and pepper. It is similar to unmarinated gogi-gui, distinguishing it from other kinds of meat by its steak-like juicy texture. Jumulleok is also commonly found with sliced duck instead of beef.
Dwaeji bulgogi (돼지불고기), or spicy pork, is also a popular gogigui dish. It is different from beef bulgogi in that the marinade is not soy sauce-based, but, instead, is marinated in sauces based on gochujang and/or gochu garu (Korean chili powder). The flavor is usually better when made with fattier cuts of pork, such as pork shoulder or pork belly.
Un-marinated barbecue meats
Chadolbagi or chadolbaegi is a dish made from thinly sliced beef brisket, which is not marinated. It is so thin that it cooks nearly instantly as soon as it is dropped onto a heated pan.
Samgyeopsal is made of thicker strips of unsalted pork belly. It has fatty areas and is tender. In Korea, samgyeopsal is eaten more frequently than chadolbaegi due to the comparatively lower price of pork.
Loins (deungsim, 등심) and boneless ribs (galbisal, 갈비살) are also a popular choice as an unmarinated type of gogigui.
Side dishes
Gogi-gui comes with various banchan (side dishes). The most popular side dishes are rice and kimchi, and a green onion salad called pajeori and a fresh vegetable dish including lettuce, cucumbers, and peppers invariably accompany the meat dishes at restaurants. Other popular side dishes include the spinach side dish (sigeumchi namul/시금치나물), egg roll omelette (gyeran-mari/계란말이), spicy radish salad (mu saengchae/무생채), and a steamed egg soufflé (gyeran-jjim/계란찜). A popular way of eating Korean barbecue is to wrap the meat with lettuce and/or perilla leaves and add condiments such as pajeori (spicy scallion salad) and ssamjang (a spicy paste made of doenjang mixed with gochujang).
Korean barbecue is also popularly paired with alcoholic drinks, such as beer, soju, makgeolli, or wine.