Pyongyang Naengmyeon — Print Recipe

Chewy buckwheat noodles served in an ice-cold beef broth, topped with sliced beef, pickled radish, and a halved egg. Pyongyang's signature dish.

Ingredients

400g dried buckwheat noodles (naengmyeon noodles)
6 cups beef broth, well-seasoned and chilled until slightly slushy
300g beef brisket, cooked and thinly sliced
1 Korean pear, thinly sliced
1 Persian cucumber, julienned
2 hard-boiled eggs, halved
1/4 cup dongchimi radish water kimchi brine (optional)
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
Korean hot mustard and vinegar for serving
Ice cubes

Instructions

1 Prepare the beef broth by simmering beef brisket with onion, garlic, and ginger for two hours until richly flavoured. Strain, season with soy sauce and salt, then chill in the refrigerator until ice-cold and slightly slushy. The broth must be cold enough to form tiny ice crystals.
2 Cook the dried buckwheat noodles in a large pot of vigorously boiling water for three to four minutes, stirring immediately after adding to prevent clumping. The noodles cook very quickly and should be chewy and slightly translucent when done.
3 Drain the cooked noodles and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice water. Rub and wash the noodles vigorously between your hands under the cold water to remove all surface starch, which would otherwise make the broth cloudy and the noodles gummy.
4 Divide the rinsed, drained noodles between deep serving bowls, arranging them in neat coils. The noodles should be very cold and slightly springy. Traditional naengmyeon noodles are famously chewy and are typically cut with scissors at the table.
5 Mix the rice vinegar and sugar into the ice-cold broth along with the dongchimi brine if using. Ladle the freezing cold broth over the noodles, filling each bowl about two-thirds full. Add a few ice cubes to keep the broth frigid throughout the meal.
6 Arrange the thinly sliced beef brisket, Korean pear slices, julienned cucumber, and a halved hard-boiled egg on top of the noodles. Serve immediately with Korean hot mustard and vinegar on the side for diners to adjust the heat and acidity to taste.