Mul-Naengmyeon: Icy Buckwheat Noodles in Chilled Beef Broth

⏱ 150 min · Serves 4

Korea's answer to a heatwave: springy buckwheat noodles swimming in a tangy, slushy beef broth, crowned with crisp pear, cucumber ribbons and a jammy half-egg. Make the broth a day ahead so it comes out barely frozen at the edges — that first icy slurp is pure bliss.

Per serving: 612 kcal · 42.0g protein · 78.0g carbs · 15.0g fat

Ingredients

• 500g beef brisket
• 2 litres cold water
• 1 onion, halved
• 6 garlic cloves
• 5cm piece ginger, sliced
• 1 leek, white part only
• 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar, plus more to taste
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1.5 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 400g dried naengmyeon (buckwheat) noodles
• 1 Korean pear (or crisp nashi), peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cucumber, cut into fine matchsticks
• 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp vinegar (for the cucumber)
• 2 eggs
• 200ml dongchimi (radish water kimchi) liquid, optional but excellent
• Korean mustard oil (yeongyeoja) and extra vinegar, to serve
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. Soak the brisket in cold water for 30 minutes to draw out blood, then drain and rinse.
2. Put the brisket in a large pot with 2 litres cold water, onion, garlic, ginger, leek and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, skim the grey foam, then simmer gently, uncovered, for 90 minutes until the beef is tender.
3. Lift out the beef and chill it in cold water for 5 minutes, then wrap tightly and refrigerate. Strain the broth through a fine sieve lined with muslin.
4. Season the hot broth with soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and salt. Cool, then refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight). Skim off the solid fat, stir in the dongchimi liquid if using, then freeze for 1–2 hours until slushy ice crystals form at the edges.
5. Meanwhile, boil the eggs for 7 minutes, cool in iced water, peel and halve. Toss the cucumber with 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp vinegar and chill. Slice the cold beef as thinly as you can.
6. Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water for 2–3 minutes, stirring so they don't clump. Drain and rinse under cold running water, rubbing them with your hands until squeaky and ice-cold. Drain very well and coil into 4 nests.
7. Place a noodle nest in each chilled bowl and pour over the slushy broth. Top with beef slices, pear, cucumber, half an egg and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
8. Serve with mustard oil and vinegar at the table — snip the noodles with scissors before slurping.