If you’ve only ever had the beef from a Korean restaurant and never tried to buy and make your own, you may think the only difference between American and Korean beef is in its preparation. While American and Korean BBQ certainly differ in the spices and cooking methods used, there’s another key difference, which can make buying and cooking authentic Korean beef at home difficult. The problem lies with the cuts of meat available in grocery stores.

American Beef

From most grocery stores and butchers in the U.S., you’ll find about 22 different cuts of beef. Most of these are steak variations, like tenderloin and sirloin, but you’ll also find ribs, brisket, and roast. The less tender cuts of meat are combined to make ground beef. In some health food and specialty stores, you may find organ meats, like liver or tongue, but it’s not a common find.

Korean Beef

In Korea, before they began importing beef from other countries, it was an expensive commodity. As such, they used as much of the cow in their cooking as possible. This resulted in more than 100 different cuts of Korean beef, including the organs, head, and even the tail. Today, about 50 of the most popular beef cuts are used regularly in Korean cooking—more than double the number of American cuts available.

Korean restaurants will use the tougher cuts of beef in soup or thinly slice and grill them. Tender beef cuts are thickly sliced, marinated, and made into bulgogi, while beef ribs are frequently used in Korean BBQ. You’ll also find that dishes that include beef tongue are popular in Korean restaurants and grocery stores.

If you plan to try your hand at authentic Korean BBQ, you’ll need to find a grocer or butcher who offers a larger selection of beef cuts. If you’d prefer to leave it to the experts, check out New Shilawon Korean Restaurant in Honolulu, HI. This Korean restaurant makes everything from their BBQ to shabu shabu fresh daily and offers dine-in and takeout options. Book a reservation online or call (808) 944-8700. Check out their reviews on Facebook and Yelp, and visit their Instagram for mouthwatering pictures of their Korean food.