Leave the stock almost to freeze
Small ice crystals keep the shell cold for a long time. Do not freeze the broth to a solid block.
Korean Recipe
Mul Naengmyeon
The beef broth is completely cooled and degreased, then finely sour with Dongchimi stock. The noodles cook just before eating.
Total time
5 hr 15 min
Calories
560 kcal
Servings
4 servings
Difficulty
Medium
Why this recipe works
Korean cold buckwheat noodles in clear broth
Mul means water and distinguishes this Naengmyeon from the sauce-based Bibim variety. The skin is supposed to be really cold, but the broth remains fine and not aggressively sweet-sour. A mixture of clear beef broth and Dongchimi broth brings body, fermentation acid and freshness. Naengmyeon noodles are very long and elastic; in Korea, they are shortened with scissors before eating if desired.
Lunch
Dinner
Meat
Pasta
Recipe
Mul Naengmyeon
Mul Naengmyeon serves elastic buckwheat noodles in ice-cold beef dongchimi broth with cucumber, Korean pear, radish and boiled egg.
Ingredients
4 servings
Method
-
1
Preparing beef cold
Bring beef to the boil slowly with water, onion, garlic, spring onions and peppercorns. Skim the resulting foam carefully.
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2
Simmer clear broth
Reduce the heat and simmer the stock gently for 75 to 90 minutes until the meat is tender. Remove the meat and let it cool completely.
-
3
Filtering, cooling and degreasing
Pour the stock through a fine sieve, reduce to about 1.2 litres or add water. Cool quickly and chill for at least 3 hours; remove the firm fat.
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4
Flavour the broth finely
Mix the cold beef stock with the dongchimi stock, rice vinegar, sugar and soup soy sauce. It should taste mildly sour and slightly salty. Freeze for 30 minutes.
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5
Prepare toppings
Slice the cooled beef thinly across the fibre. Prepare the cucumber, pear, radish and eggs and precool four serving bowls.
-
6
Cook the noodles very briefly
Cook Naengmyeon according to the package specification usually only 1 to 3 minutes. Drain immediately and rub thoroughly under ice-cold water until the surface no longer sticks.
-
7
Serve ice cold
Squeeze the pasta well and spread it on the shells. Pour in the stock, add the toppings and season with vinegar or Korean mustard if desired.
Kitchen know-how
Tips for Mul Naengmyeon
Shorten long noodles if necessary
Naengmyeon are extremely elastic, and one or two cuts in the shell make it easier to eat without destroying the texture.
Variations
How to adapt this recipe
Omit the broth and mix the cold noodles with a sauce of gochujang, gochugaru, vinegar, pear, garlic and rice syrup.
Cool a high-quality unsalted beef broth completely and season with Dongchimi stock. Taste and gelatin content are slightly lighter.
Nutrition per serving
560kcal
78.0 gCarbohydrates
35.0 gProtein
13.0 gFat
Values are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Mul Naengmyeon
Mul Naengmyeon floats in cold broth. Bibim Naengmyeon is mixed with a hot-sweet chilli sauce without much liquid.
Dongchimi is mild radish water kimchi. Its clear fermented brew brings fine acidity and is traditionally combined with meat broth.
Special Naengmyeon noodles are made of buckwheat plus starch, depending on the style. Pure soba taste good, but do not have the same pronounced elasticity.
Washing stops cooking, removes loose starch and smoothes the surface, leaving it stickier only for a short time without rubbing.
Yes. It often tastes clearer and easier to defatter after a night in the fridge. Prepare pasta and fresh toppings just before eating.
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