Mul Naengmyeon

Method

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1. Soak the beef in cold water for 1 hour, changing the water twice, to draw out blood for a clear broth.

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2. Simmer it with the 2 litres of water, onion, garlic, ginger and spring onions for 2 hours, skimming regularly. Never let it boil hard.

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3. Strain the broth, discard the aromatics, and press the beef under a weight for an hour, then slice it very thinly.

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4. Season the broth with the soy sauce, salt, vinegar, sugar and the radish kimchi brine if you have it. Taste — it should be noticeably sharp and salty.

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5. Chill the broth for at least 6 hours, then transfer it to the freezer for 90 minutes until slushy with ice crystals.

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6. Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes — they cook very fast.

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7. Drain and wash them under cold running water, massaging with both hands, until they are cold and squeaky. Finish in an ice bath.

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8. Coil the drained noodles into deep metal bowls.

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9. Pour the icy broth over, arrange the beef, pear, cucumber, egg and pickled radish on top, and serve with vinegar and mustard for each person to add.

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Chef’s Tips

• The broth must be freezing, with visible ice. Merely cold broth makes a flat, disappointing bowl.
• Serve scissors with the bowls. Naengmyeon noodles are famously hard to bite through.
• Season the broth more heavily than tastes right at room temperature — cold mutes salt considerably.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Korean barbecue, as the traditional finish to a grilled meal
• Kimchi
• Cold barley tea

Storage & Reheating

The broth keeps 5 days refrigerated and freezes 2 months. Cook the noodles fresh for every serving.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.