Dwaeji Galbi is pork marinated with sweet and salty seasoning based on soy sauce.
To be exact, Dwaeji Galbi refers to the meat attached to pork ribs. But because Samgyeopsal is so popular in Korea, there isn’t much rib meat to go around, so Moksal is often used instead.
In the past, Dwaeji Galbi was more popular than Samgyeopsal, but now it has given way to Samgyeopsal.
Dwaeji Galbi doesn’t cook well at home.
The reason is that Dwaeji Galbi restaurants have a secret recipe for seasoning.
Restaurants that sell Samgyeopsal often sell Dwaeji Galbi too, but it’s recommended to try it at restaurants that specialize in Dwaeji Galbi alone.
That’s not always easy, though, since the number of dedicated Dwaeji Galbi restaurants is gradually decreasing.
If you visit a meat restaurant (Gogigib) that sells Samgyeopsal and Dwaeji Galbi also sells it, it is recommended to order only one serving of Dwaeji Galbi after eating Samgyeopsal.
Dwaeji Galbi consists of the meat attached to pork ribs.
However, as mentioned above, because Samgyeopsal is so popular, there often isn’t enough rib meat to go around, so Moksal is used in its place.
Because it’s seasoned, Dwaeji Galbi can burn easily when grilled, so be careful not to let it char.
Dwaeji Galbi is sweet and salty, so it is recommended to eat it wrapped in vegetables such as lettuce.
Enjoying Dwaeji Galbi
Dwaeji Galbi is a popular food among foreigners because it has no spicy taste.
There were many foreign tourists at restaurants selling Dwaeji Galbi near Hongdae.
Dwaeji Galbi is sometimes confused with bulgogi because both use a soy sauce-based marinade, but Bulgogi and Dwaeji Galbi are different dishes.
The biggest difference between Dwaeji Galbi and Bulgogi is the price.
Of course, there is also a difference between pork and beef ingredients.
Bulgogi is more expensive and can be said to be a luxury food.
If you enjoy pork, I’d recommend trying Dwaeji Galbi together with Samgyeopsal.
For reference, some regions sell an unmarinated version of Dwaeji Galbi, served bone-in without the sweet, soy-based seasoning.
