Yakiniku: Korean Barbecue in Japan and the Development of a Distinct Japanese Grilling Culture

Ingredients

• 600 g wagyu beef tongue (gyutan), sliced thin, about 3 mm — first cut in the sequence
• 400 g wagyu short rib (karubi), cut into small thin pieces, approximately 4 cm × 3 cm
• 400 g wagyu rib-eye core or zabuton (chuck flap), A4–A5 grade, sliced thin — centrepiece cut
• For the taré (dipping sauce)
• 120 ml soy sauce
• 60 ml mirin
• 30 ml sake
• 20 g sugar
• 15 g garlic, finely grated
• For shio seasoning
• 1 tsp fine sea salt, fleur de sel or Okinawan salt preferred for premium wagyu
• 30 ml ponzu, for dipping fattier cuts after grilling to cut richness
• as required binchotan charcoal, lit and ashed over before service — do not use gas if avoidable

Method

1. 1
   Prepare the taré. Combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the grated garlic and simmer briefly until the sauce thickens slightly and the raw alcohol smell lifts. Remove from heat and set aside in a dipping bowl. The taré is ready when it coats a spoon with a glossy, even film.
2. 2
   Light the binchotan charcoal well in advance — it requires 20–30 minutes to reach a consistent, ashed-over state. The grill is ready when the charcoal glows a uniform orange-white with no visible black patches and produces even, radiant heat without flare-up. Gas grills are considered inferior for premium yakiniku; binchotan produces clean heat with subtle smoky complexity.
3. 3
   Begin the sequence with gyutan (tongue). Place thin-sliced tongue pieces on the hottest part of the grill in a single layer. Grill 30–60 seconds per side. The tongue is done when its surface shows clear caramelised Maillard colour and the edges curl slightly — it remains firm but not tough. Season with shio (fine salt) rather than taré; the lean, clean character of tongue is the palate-opening cut of the sequence.
4. 4
   Proceed to karubi (short rib). Place small, thin pieces on the grill. Grill 30–60 seconds per side. Karubi is a fattier cut and is seasoned with taré — dip or brush lightly before or after grilling. Fat residue from karubi begins to season the grill surface; this is intentional and will enrich subsequent cuts. The cut is done when the exterior is caramelised and the fat has just begun to render at the edges, the interior remaining pink.
5. 5
   This is where the dish lives or dies. Lay the wagyu zabuton or rib-eye core pieces — the centrepiece of the sequence — on the grill one at a time. Sear for no more than 20 seconds per side. The very high marbling of A4–A5 wagyu means the fat melts almost immediately; over-cooking beyond medium-rare obliterates the defining sweet, rich, melting fat character that is the entire purpose of premium yakiniku. Remove each piece from the grill the instant the surface is seared and the centre remains visibly translucent-pink at the edges. Rest 15 seconds before eating — even this brief pause allows the juices to slightly redistribute in so small a piece.
6. 6
   After eating the zabuton, offer ponzu as a brief palate reset. A light dip of the last fattier pieces (karubi, toro-karubi if present) in cold ponzu cuts the accumulated richness and clears the palate. The acid should be perceptible but not dominant — the meat's character should remain primary.