Mul Naengmyeon

물냉면 Mulnaengmyeon is a fantastic soup for a hot summer day. With a slightly spicy, tangy, ice cold broth and buckwheat noodles, this dish cools and satisfies.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 24 ounce pkg Memil guksu 메밀국수(Korean buckwheat noodles)

8 cups Beef Stock* (prepare the night before)

2 cups Anchovy Stock**

*Beef Stock

2 pounds beef brisket

2 pounds beef bones

1 1/2 ounces ginger root

5 each hot green or red chili peppers

2 1/2 quarts water

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 teaspoons salt or to taste

1/4 pound daikon radish

**Anchovy Stock

8 each dried anchovies

1/2 ounce kelp (kombu/dashima/dasima)

2 cups water

1 each medium slice onion

1 each clove garlic

Toppings

2 each small Korean cucumbers

1 each Asian pear

4 each eggs

Asian hot mustard or hot mustard oil (optional)

Procedure

Preparation:

Beef Broth:

Rinse soup bones in cold water, then place in a large cooking pot (4 quart or larger)and completely submerge in water.

Bring to a full boil, remove from heat, discard water, and rinse bones with cold water.

Add the brisket, ginger, peppers, salt, and two quarts water to the pot with the beef bones and bring to a slow simmer over medium heat.

Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, skimming off oil and foam as needed, until reduced by 1/4 (1 1/2 quarts remaining).

Carefully remove meat from broth and set aside.

Remove bones from broth and discard, then strain broth through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, and discard solids. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.

Slice meat into thin slices and refrigerate.

Anchovy Broth:

Roughly chop the onion.

Slice the garlic into thirds from top to bottom.

Place dried anchovies and kelp in a pan and slowly toast over low heat.

Transfer toasted anchovies and kelp to a soup pot, add onion, garlic, and water, then gently heat to a slow simmer over low heat.

Simmer for 5 minutes.

Strain the broth and discard solids.

Let cool to room temperature.

Mix Broth:

Remove any solidified fat and oil from the refrigerated beef broth.

Combine beef and anchovy broths with the vinegar and stir well.

Fill several ice trays with 1/2 the broth and freeze.

Refrigerate the remaining broth until cold.

Toppings:

Hard boil the eggs, cool, peel, and cut each in half.

Peel and core the pear.

Wash the cucumber in cold water.

Thick shred the cucumber and pear.

Mix optional mustard: 2 tablespoons mustard, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon vinegar.

Noodles:

Bring about two quarts of water to a full boil and add the noodles, stirring just enough to separate them.

Boil for about three minutes, or to your desired result (firm, medium firm, or soft).

Remove from heat and rinse in cold water until noodles are cold.

Serve:

Divide noodles equally into six serving bowls, and top with sliced meat.

Divide cold broth evenly among the bowls, and add the frozen broth cubes, or place the frozen cubes and cold broth into a large capacity blender and blend into a slush, then add to noodles.

Very cautiously add mustard oil one or two drops at a time, or the mustard mix, to your desired heat.

Add other topping ingredients evenly and serve.

Images

Mulnaengmyeon with green tea noodles
Mulnaengmyeon broth