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[title]Filipino lechon
THE MEAT
Pork, traditionally a whole adult pig
THE PREP
Marinated in a sauce of sugar, salt and herbs that vary by region
THE FIRE
Roasted on a spit over charcoal
THE PRESENTATION
Served immediately and also reheated for dishes such as lechon kawali, or fried pork
GET IT
Ruby’s (3740 W Montrose Ave, 773-539-2669; $3–$6), Isla Pilipina (2501 W Lawrence Ave, 773-271-2988; $9)
Argentine parrillada
THE MEAT
Mostly beef but also cow offal, chicken and sausage
THE PREP
Sprinkled with a little salt
THE FIRE
Placed directly on a charcoal or wood-fired grill
THE PRESENTATION
Served with chimichurri sauce: Red is made of garlic, onion and crushed red pepper; green is herbs such as parsley, garlic and onion
GET IT Tango Sur (3763 N Southport Ave, 773-477-5466; $11–$16), El Ñandú (2731 W Fullerton Ave, 773-278-0900; $14–$20)
Middle Eastern doner kebabs
THE MEAT
Traditionally lamb, but chicken is also common
THE PREP
Lean meat gets stacked on a large skewer and topped with fat that drips down as the meat cooks.
THE FIRE
The rotating skewer is cooked by charcoal, electric or gas burners.
THE PRESENTATION
Served in pita bread with a yogurt sauce and vegetables
GET IT
Cafe Orchid (1746 W Addison St, 773-327-3808; $14), Turkish Cuisine and Bakery (5605 N Clark St, 773-878-8930; $14)
Indian and Pakistani tandoori
THE MEAT
Usually chicken, sometimes beef and lamb
THE PREP
Marinated in a yogurt sauce with a tandoori masala-spice mix (red chili peppers, garlic, ginger and cumin)
THE FIRE
Skewered meats are suspended in a clay oven (tandoor) heated to 900 degrees.
THE PRESENTATION
Served over rice with a yogurt, citrus or curry sauce
GET IT
Khan BBQ (2401 W Devon Ave, 773-274-8600; $9–$16), Indian Grill (2258 N Clark St, 773-477-8000; $13–$15)
Korean kalbi
THE MEAT
Primarily beef short ribs, sometimes pork ribs or chicken
THE PREP
Soaked in a soy sauce-, sugar- and garlic-based marinade
THE FIRE
Cooked on tabletop gas grills or sizzling platters along with vegetables
THE PRESENTATION
Served with ssamjang, a sauce of fermented bean curd and red-pepper paste.
GET IT
Ban Po Jung (3450 W Foster Ave, 773-583-5209; $15), Boo-il Galbi Korean BBQ (3346 W Bryn Mawr Ave, 773-588-3112; $20)
Japanese yakitori
THE MEAT
Chicken and chicken offal are the most traditional, but you can also find tofu and pork.
THE PREP
Bite-size pieces are sprinkled with salt or tare, a sweet soy-based sauce, then slipped onto bamboo skewers.
THE FIRE
Cooked over narrow charcoal grills
THE PRESENTATION
Nothing—eaten straight from the stick
GET IT
Mizu Yakitori (315 W North Ave, 312-951-8880; $2–$3), Sushi Wabi (842 W Randolph St, 312-563-1224; $8)
Eastern European spit-roasting
THE MEAT
Young lamb and suckling pig
THE PREP
The whole animal is tied to a rod and lightly glazed with salt and oil.
THE FIRE
Rotisserie-cooked one hour for every ten pounds of meat
THE PRESENTATION
Pork is deboned; lamb is traditionally served on the bone.
GET IT
Taste of Romania (2345 W Elston Ave, 773-604-8500, Sept 15 and 16), Taste of Serbia (27450 N Bradley Rd, 847-247-0077, Lake Forest, Sept 4 and 5; prices vary)
Jamaican jerk
THE MEAT
Pork and chicken
THE PREP
Covered with jerk dry rub, which usually consists of allspice, Scotch bonnet peppers, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and other spices
THE FIRE
Traditionally cooked in oil barrels that are cut in half and filled with charcoal. Now a steel drum over a charcoal grill is more common.
THE PRESENTATION
Served with a starch such as bread, bammy (a fried flatbread) or festival (fried dumplings)
GET IT
Tropic Island Jerk Chicken (419 E 79th St, 773-224-7766; $3–$12), Uncle Joe’s Jerk (1461 E Hyde Park Blvd, 773-241-5550; $4–$11)
Greek souvlaki
THE MEAT
Lamb and pork
THE PREP
Small chunks of meat are marinated in an acid (often lemon juice), herbs and olive oil, and then skewered, often with vegetables.
THE FIRE
Grilled over charcoal
THE PRESENTATION
Often served in pita bread and paired with tzatziki, a yogurt-based sauce, and vegetables
GET IT
9 Muses (315 S Halsted St, 312-902-9922; $8), Athenian Room (807 W Webster Ave, 773-348-5155; $6–$9)
Brazilian churrascaría
THE MEAT
A variety, including filet mignon wrapped in bacon, sirloin steak, beef rump (coulette), chicken and lamb
THE PREP
Large chunks are placed onto skewers and covered with coarse salt.
THE FIRE
Grilled rotisserie-style, traditionally with charcoal
THE PRESENTATION
Served right off the cooking skewer at the table, a style known as rodizio
GET IT
Fogo de Chao (661 N LaSalle St, 312-932-9330; $50), Texas de Brazil (51 E Ohio St, 312-670-1006; $45)