Naengmyeon (Cold Noodles in Chilled Beef Broth)

Name: Naengmyeon (Cold Noodles in Chilled Beef Broth)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 h
Total time: 15 h 15 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: korean
Ingredients: 3 ½ pounds bone-in beef short ribs, 1 to 2 inches thick; 1/2 unpeeled Korean radish or 1 daikon, cut into large chunks (1 pound); 2 large unpeeled yellow onions, halved; 1 unpeeled Korean pear or 2 Bosc pears, halved; 1 daepa (Korean leek) or 4 large scallions, halved; 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, scrubbed and halved lengthwise; 1 head garlic, halved crosswise; 1 teaspoon black peppercorns; 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more to taste; 2 ½ tablespoons flaky or coarse sea salt, plus more to taste; 6 tablespoons yangjo vinegar (Korean malt vinegar; see Tip) or distilled white vinegar, plus more to taste; 4 tablespoons maesil cheong (green plum syrup; optional, see Tip), plus more to taste; 2 quarts cold water or dongchimi (radish water kimchi) broth; 4 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced lengthwise; 2 tablespoons yangjo or distilled white vinegar; 2 teaspoons granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons flaky or coarse sea salt; 1/4 Korean radish or 1/2 daikon, peeled and thinly sliced; 1 (22-ounce) package dry naengmyeon; 1/2 Korean pear or 1 Bosc pear, peeled, halved, cored and thinly sliced; 4 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise; Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Recipe from Olle

Adapted by Eric Kim

Updated Nov. 22, 2023

Naengmyeon (Cold Noodles in Chilled Beef Broth) — Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Eleni Pappas.

Total Time: 6 ¼ hours, plus 9 hours’ cooling and freezing
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours, plus 9 hours’ cooling and freezing
Rating: 4(64)
Comments: Read comments

The secret ingredient to mul naengmyeon, the North Korean cold noodle dish that is now a staple in South Korea and the world, is the mul — water. Whether in the form of dongchimi (radish water kimchi) broth or cold water from your tap or fridge, H2O is a powerful ingredient: When mixed with a rich beef yuksu, the brothy foundation of this dish, then frozen for a couple of hours, it becomes a savory slushy that makes the cold, chewy buckwheat noodles taste even more alchemically divine. This recipe is dense, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s the real deal, and comes from the family behind Olle restaurant in New York City. The main lesson of naengmyeon is that most of the work happens on the front end. Once you have the broth made and the toppings assembled, for the next few days, your meals will be sorted — a bowl of naengmyeon available to you at the drop of a hat, the mere boil of a noodle. —Eric Kim

Featured in: You Won’t Just Love These Cold Noodles. You’ll Need Them.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

For the Broth

3½ pounds bone-in beef short ribs, 1 to 2 inches thick
½unpeeled Korean radish or 1 daikon, cut into large chunks (1 pound)
2large unpeeled yellow onions, halved
1unpeeled Korean pear or 2 Bosc pears, halved
1daepa (Korean leek) or 4 large scallions, halved
1(2-inch) piece ginger, scrubbed and halved lengthwise
1head garlic, halved crosswise
1teaspoon black peppercorns
3tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more to taste
2½ tablespoons flaky or coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
6tablespoons yangjo vinegar (Korean malt vinegar; see Tip) or distilled white vinegar, plus more to taste
4tablespoons maesil cheong (green plum syrup; optional, see Tip), plus more to taste
2quarts cold water or dongchimi (radish water kimchi) broth

For Serving

4Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced lengthwise
2tablespoons yangjo or distilled white vinegar
2teaspoons granulated sugar
2teaspoons flaky or coarse sea salt
¼Korean radish or ½ daikon, peeled and thinly sliced
1(22-ounce) package dry naengmyeon
½Korean pear or 1 Bosc pear, peeled, halved, cored and thinly sliced
4large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Make the broth: Soak the short ribs in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Drain the short ribs then add to a large Dutch oven or stockpot and cover with 4 quarts cold water. Bring to a boil over high, skimming and discarding foam. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the broth is rich and meaty, about 2 hours. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly, about 30 minutes, then carefully remove the meat and save to eat another time. Chill the broth in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 8 hours.
Step 2
After refrigeration, remove the raft of hardened fat in one or two satisfying pieces. Discard or reserve for another use (such as frying eggs or croutons). Add the radish, onions, pear, daepa, ginger, garlic and peppercorns; bring to a boil over high. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the broth is darker in color and more fragrant, about 3 hours.
Step 3
Use a sieve to strain out all of the solids and discard or eat them (especially the tender radishes). You should have 2 to 2¼ quarts of broth. Stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved. Let the broth cool completely, then stir in the vinegar, maesil cheong and 2 quarts water. Taste and add more sugar, salt, vinegar and maesil cheong if needed; it should be assertively seasoned, as this will be served cold and the flavors will be more muted. Transfer to individual quart containers, leaving about an inch of room on top, and freeze until slushied, 1 to 2 hours. (Use a fork to break up any larger ice pieces before serving.)
Step 4
To serve: In a bowl, toss the cucumber with 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. In another bowl, toss the radish with the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon each sugar and salt. Let stand for 10 minutes to lightly pickle.
Step 5
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain the noodles then rinse well with cold running water until no longer sticky to the touch.
Step 6
Divide the noodles among large bowls. Top each bowl with the slushied broth, pear, pickled radish and cucumber, an egg half, and sesame seeds.

Tips

Yangjo vinegar, a type of Korean malt vinegar (sometimes labeled white vinegar), lends a pure, unadulterated acidity that helps the natural flavors of food shine, and can be found in any Korean grocery store or online. White distilled vinegar works in a pinch, but yangjo vinegar is a dream to cook with.
You can find maesil cheong, or green plum syrup (also labeled an extract), online or in Korean supermarkets. Add a splash to a mug of hot water and drink it as tea, or mix it into salad dressings, marinades and stews as an aromatic sweetener with a touch of fruity tartness. It’s worth seeking out, but if you can’t find it, use a splash of apple juice or an extra pinch of sugar instead.

Ratings

4 out of 5

64 user ratings

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Comments

Megan1 year ago

The recipe says 1 22-ounce package of dry naengmyeon… that is what the noodles are called that you need to use :)

Eric Kim1 year ago

Wendy- Good question. Without the water, this collagen-rich broth would be gelatinous (basically solid) when chilled. So the water helps it become more of an icy slushy. Even more, I found that the h2o opened up those concentrated flavors in a nice way; it helped me taste everything better. yrs, Eric

S1 year ago

I mean you can make it any way that you want but no, this dish is not made with chicken broth and there is no version in Korea where it is.

Caro8 months ago

I am having a really hard time finding Yangjo vinegar. Anyone have a link or source they can share?

lyssa10 months ago

I made this today. Taste reminded me of the instant version, but homemade. The broth had a lot of subtle flavors and was tastier when served with slushied ice.

Way too sweet10 months ago

Even before the addition of sugar or maesil cheong the aromatics made this broth way too sweet. Most traditional recipes for mul naengmyeon call for simmering brisket directly (that's where the meat slice for the dish comes from) rather than bones. This is important to mitigate gelatinization which inhibits ice crystals. It was not possible to achieve the right consistency with this bone based broth even after watering it down to a dilute (yet still unappetizingly sweet) trace of itself.

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