Cycle 16 – Item 274

POST 5,753

6 (Mon) October 2025

Saewoosal

3.0

at the cabin

-Changgok, Sujeong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-

with IZ, M+D, maternal kin

After our previous family gathering at the cabin over the lunar new year holiday back in January, which had ended badly (see generally 16.023 Lunar New Year Spread), my mother had sworn never to host another one, and I had sworn never to attend another one.  And yet, here we are again.  I still believe that the gatherings have run their course and will continue looking for ways to dismantle or at least downsize them.

Saewoosal is a part of a cut of beef.  It’s the ribeye cap, the outer curved muscle attached to the inner ribeye eye by a seam of fat.  In Korean, “saewoo (shrimp) sal (cut)” refers to its vaguely shrimp-like appearance, a term that was coined and quickly proliferated over the past few years.  Regarded by connoisseurs as the best part of the ribeye (deungsim), more tender and more flavorful, some restaurants have begun selling it as a standalone cut, with premium prices.

(See RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)

(See GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See HANSIK)