Cold Buckwheat Noodle Soup | Mul Naengmyun (물냉면)

Even though mul naengmyun (translated: cold noodles in water) is a chilled, refreshing dish, making the broth requires heat. It's a little annoying except that making broth is crazy easy and so I endured five minutes of skimming foam next to the stovetop for the reward of a bowl full of cold noodles.

I previously shared a post on bibim naengmyun (which is in need of an update) which is also a great summertime meal too. But, mul naengmyun has the edge because it's swimming in ice cold broth which totally cools your whole body down. It's like air conditioning in food form.

Ingredients [yields 4 servings]:
stock
1 ribeye steak (well marbled)
5 garlic cloves
10 to 12 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
1 knob ginger
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 scallion, chopped

nengmyun fixin's
4 servings nengmyun noodles (buckwheat noodles)
pickled radish
cucumber slices
soft boiled egg
scallions, chopped
sesame seeds

pickled radish
4 oz. radish, sliced
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

To make the beef broth, start by soaking the steak in water for about an hour. This will drain the blood-colored enzymes and make the broth a little clearer. Place the soaked steak in a big pot of water along with a few cloves of garlic. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 to 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Skim off any foam and nasty bits, as necessary.

Turn off the heat and remove the steak and garlic.

To the still warm broth, drop in the knob of ginger, rice wine vinegar, salt, mustard powder, scallions, and sugar. Pop the lid on and leave the stock to cool for 2 hours. Then, strain the stock and chill.

I like pickled radish in my naengmyun. It's super easy. Just pickle sliced radish with a little salt, sugar, and rice wine vinegar and set aside for at least 15 minutes or overnight.

When you're ready to eat, grab a few handfuls of noodles and boil them for three minutes. Then, drain into a colander and massage under cold water. The shock in cold water will make the noodles really chewy.

To assemble, pile a serving of noodles into a bowl. Top with the pickled radish, slices of cucumber, a soft boiled egg, a few slices of the broth steak, and a sprinkle of scallions. Then, pour over enough broth to submerge the noodles.

Finish with some sesame seeds and serve immediately.

If your dinner party is so inclined, bring the mustard powder and rice wine vinegar to the table so they can add more as they please. I'm fine with this recipe just as it is; afterall, it's mine.

The noodles are cold and chewy and the broth is super fresh whilst maintaining some its unctuous, meaty, umami quality. This is the ultimate summer meal because it cools you down but it's also hearty enough to fill you up.

Here's the recipe page: