Mul Naengmyeon (Korean Cold Noodle Soup)

Method7 steps · about 4 hr 55 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Soak the brisket in a bowl of water for 10 minutes, then drain and discard that water.

   Brisket soak · 10 minUses 150 g beef brisket · Water for soaking the brisket, discarded

2. 2

   Step 2: Put the soaked brisket, the separate 4 cups stock water, peeled onion (20 g), green onion whites (5 g) and peppercorns in a pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off scum. Reduce to medium-low and simmer until the brisket is tender and cooked, about 1 hour of cooking in total.

   Cook brisket and stock · 60 minUses Drained soaked brisket · 4 cups water for beef stock · 20 g onion, peeled · 5 g green onion, white part · 10 whole black peppercorns

3. 3

   Step 3: Strain the stock, discarding the onion, green onion and peppercorns, and cool for 30 minutes. Expect about 3 cups of stock, with actual yield varying. Set the cooked brisket on a plate until safe to handle, trim any stringy fat and thinly slice it; reserve both the stock and meat.

   Cool strained beef stock · 30 minUses Cooked beef stock and tender brisket

4. 4

   Step 4: Mix all the cooled beef stock with 2 cups dongchimi brine, 2 tbsp broth vinegar, 1 tbsp pear juice, 1½ tbsp sugar, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp mustard powder. Taste and adjust for your brine. Cover and freeze for 3–4 hours, until icy cold and slightly slushy. Alternatively freeze overnight and thaw in the fridge to a slushy consistency.

   Lightly freeze naengmyeon broth · 240 minUses All cooled beef stock, about 3 cups · 2 cups prepared dongchimi brine (radish water kimchi brine) · 2 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar for broth · 1 tbsp Korean or Nashi pear juice, grated and strained · 1½ tbsp fine sugar · ½ tsp fine sea salt · ¼ tsp yellow mustard powder

5. 5

   Step 5: While the broth chills, peel, core and thinly slice the topping pear, thinly slice the pickled radish (40 g), julienne the cucumber (40 g) and halve the already hard-boiled egg (1).

   Uses 50 g Korean or Nashi pear, peeled, cored and thinly sliced · 40 g pickled radish or dongchimi radish, thinly sliced · 40 g cucumber, julienned · 1 hard-boiled egg, halved

6. 6

   Step 6: Once the broth is ready to serve, boil the dried naengmyeon noodles in a separate pan of water according to the package until cooked and bouncy. Drain and rinse several times under cold running water, adding optional ice to cool them further. Drain promptly and divide between 2 serving bowls.

   Uses 200 g dried naengmyeon (Korean buckwheat) noodles · Water for boiling the naengmyeon noodles · Cold running water for rinsing the noodles · Ice cubes, optional for cooling the rinsed noodles

7. 7

   Step 7: Pour the slushy chilled broth over the drained noodles. Add the reserved sliced beef and prepared pear, pickled radish, cucumber and half an egg to each bowl. Garnish with optional sesame seeds and serve immediately; add a little optional mustard paste or finishing vinegar for extra tang.

   Uses Cold drained naengmyeon noodles · Slushy seasoned naengmyeon broth · Reserved thinly sliced cooked brisket · Prepared pear, radish, cucumber and egg halves · Toasted sesame seeds, optional garnish · Yellow mustard paste, optional extra seasoning · White or apple cider vinegar, optional extra seasoning