An Illustrated Guide to Barbecue Meats

In honor of Eater's Barbecue Week, here's an illustrated guide to the most common types of smoked meats that come up when discussing American barbecue (with a nod to Korean barbecue, as well).

Beef brisket and pulled pork are by far the two most popular items at typical barbecue restaurants, apparent from the statistics featured in Seattle Barbecue By the Numbers. (In an intriguing twist, Seattle actually has one barbecue restaurant, The Boar's Nest, that doesn't cook any cow meat, leaning heavily on the pig.) Ribs, chicken, and sausage of various types round out the menu at most smoked meat joints.

The Seattle area also has a handful of Korean barbecue restaurants, including reader-recommended spots like Ka Won, Gangnam BBQ, and Shilla (specifically, the one in the Uwajimaya food court). Often, cuts of meat are marinated and sliced incredibly thinly for quick cooking table-side, including sliced pork, beef brisket, and pork belly, seen below.

—Illustration by Lori Bailey of Sugar & Stamp