Time for a BBQ? - Comparing Japanese and Western Style BBQs
It's officially Spring, and with the lighter nights and (slightly) warmer weather, you may be yearning for the first barbecue of the season! For a bit of inspiration, we've created a simple guide to understanding the difference in Western style BBQ's and traditional Japanese methods - from preparation, to cooking, to enjoying!
Cooking Style
When we talk about Western BBQ's, we'll mainly be focussed on the traditional American pitmasters, the classic BBQ's of the deep south. With that in mind, this cooking style requires cooking large cuts of meats over a low heat for many hours. Low and slow! Meat is put into a large smoker and cooks using indirect heat, flavoured by the smoke from the wood (possibly hickory or oak). Depending on the pitmasters style, this process can take a few hours, or even a full day.
On the other hand, Japanese BBQs are based on grilling. The meat is cooked quickly and over a high heated grill often using charcoal as fuel. This is known as "yakiniku", which directly translates as "grilled meat". Instead of waiting hours for the cooking process, diners cook small pieces of meat in just a few minutes.
Equipment Used
In Western cooking, big cuts of meat require just as big cooking equipment. Large smokers or grills are designed to be temperature controlled enabling personalisation in your cooking style over long periods of time. Wood chips or logs are added to these machines to create more smoke and enhance the flavours.
In contrast, in Japan charcoal grills are used. These are much smaller, sometimes even tabletop, including the traditional "shichirin" grill. Binchotan is a favoured charcoal alternative as a fuel source burning cleanly and producing an intense yet steady heat.
Meat
In Western BBQs, you'll usually see large cuts of meat with very little preparation before cooking. Popular choices include briskets (beef), pork ribs and pork shoulder. These larger cuts are often tougher when raw, requiring the longer, slower cooking process to ensure a juicy and tender finished product.
Whereas, in Japanese grilling, you would cut the meat into thin slices before cooking. As of this, popular choices include beef short ribs (karubi), beef tongue and pork slices. By thinly slicing you chosen meat, they cook very quickly and can be eaten immediately.
Flavours
In the US, you can't have a BBQ without a rich, sticky BBQ sauce. In the West, we tend to opt for bold flavours such as paprika, pepper and garlic for a preparation rub or marinade, finished off with a sweeter BBQ sauce.
In Japanese cooking, the flavours appear lighter and more balanced. Some like to dip their meat in "tare", a sauce made from soy sauce, sugar and garlic, helping to enhance the natural flavours of the meat. In Japanese, this is known as "umami", meaning "pleasant savoury taste" or "deliciousness".
Dining Style
Big social events are the basis of American BBQ's, opting to prepare the meats using the low and slow method when they have more time to perfect it. We've all seen the big American "cook outs" on TV, they all get together with beers and games while the smoker or grill is the star of the show. And even here the UK, a BBQ is the perfect excuse to get family and friends together outdoors and enjoy a simple burger from the grill.
With Japanese BBQs, you get more of an interactive experience, sometimes each cooking your own food. In many restaurants you sit around the grill, picking up the small or thin slices or meat and cook for yourself - eating or sharing immediately. Of course, this can also be outdoors but tends to be a more intimate affair.
A rundown...
| Western (US) | Japanese | |
| Cooking Style | Indirect heat - low and slow! | Grilled quickly on a high heat. |
| Equipment Used | Larger temperature controlled smokers and grills. | Smaller charcoal grills, like the traditional "shichirin". |
| Meat | Larger tough cuts of meat - briskets etc. | Meats are cut into thin slices - karubi etc. |
| Flavours | Strong and bold with sweet BBQ sauces. | Lighter and balanced described as "umami". |
| Dining Style | Social gatherings centred around the large grill. | Interactive experience cooking and sharing between small groups. |