Bibim Naengmyeon

Introduction

Bibim Naengmyeon is the ideal solution to a hot summer day, providing a cold yet spicy repast. Rendered with a bounty full of jam-pack flavors and tangy hit at every forkful… the perfect kind to taste only if cravings left you no choice but, head up in for blue-sky weather trolling bluffing thrills! Bibim Naengmyeon, a Korean icy cold noodle dish is another chilly solution boasting sweet & vinegary sauce with a kick of spice brought to you further by the crunch of cucumber and sweetness in pear.

The unusual thing about Bibim Naengmyeon is also the chewy noodles. This isn’t your average pasta, so to prepare it correctly you rinse and clean the noodles very well.(if they are not properly washed then an unpleasant coating can form on them while cooking. The last stage… an ice bath, which is crucial because this part of the process will make your noodles taste chewy just like they are supposed to. It provides the dish with a sharp taste that makes it loved by Korean families and one of many must-have menu items at various restaurants.

I have made this dish so many times, and perfected the recipe through trial over years. Yes, the noodles come pre-made in a package (I easily found them on Amazon for Kabocha Gone Wild week), but seriously — do exactly what it tells you to. →_TRAINIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS← I know from personal experience, the absence of an ice bath or failure to rinse with cold water can dramatically alter not just texture but also flavor.

For a long time, I didn’t care so much for these details once I had learned how to make Bibim Naengmyeon from my dad but as the years have gone on and making the noodles become more of an often occurrence in our home (especially in summer days), I realised that they are essential when it comes to getting those chewy strands spot-on.

I wish you good luck in preparing Bibim Naengmyeon using these tidied up techniques. It will be your family favourite such that you may never miss it if its new to Korean cooking and even a seasoned fan of this roti slime. But, what is lovely about Bibim Naengmyeon that you can eat it throughout the year rather than just in a summertime. The remaining spicy sauce you store in the fridge and once tired, you can cook a heavenly pesto dish whenever it comes to your mind.

Bibim Naengmyeon

Prepare the Noodles

When it comes to making Bibim Naengmyeon really special, the most important part is noodles. Start by boiling a large pot of water. When it reaches boiling, put the noodles in there and give them a nice little swish with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Take a sample to taste, the noodles should be chewy with no hard spots. If they’re not, let them cook another minute.

When cooked remove the noodles, strain and rinse immediately with cold running water. The whole purpose of this step is to get rid if the excess starch and make sure that the noodles are chewy, cold and perfect! You may also rinse the noodles until full cold during rubbing and scrubbing for a better texture as well. Finally, rinse noodles through a large bowl filled with ice water and ice cubes. Strain and then split the noodles between 2 wide serving bowls.

Cooking the right Naengmyeon noodles is also essential. Unknown originThe origins of naenmyeon are unclear, but the Pyeongyang style — made with buckwheat flour is the original. But if you prefer a chewier texture, chik-naengmyeon (with arrowroot starch) is it. The noodles are dark and, like the guns themselves, tangle just a little bit more than you might want to put into your mouth. That said, this chewiness contributes its character-wisdom due deal breakwise in helping us slurp an essential fashion of Bibim Naengmyeon

Make the Spicy Sauce

Now to structure the perfect spicy sauce for Bibim Naengmyeon, which is all about balance. Get half ripe pear, garlic and ginger a small piece of one onion too. The green onions lent a bit of sharpness, the hot pepper flakes and hot pepper paste brought in some heat. Then take that, toss well with soy sauce or tamari and a bit of kosher salt; sprinkle over some sugar (no more than 1 teaspoon), rice syrup dribbles, vinegar splashes on this tomato slurry along perhaps the tiniest dabbing pinch of toasted sesame oil. In a food processor, process all of the ingredients until it is creamy.

When the chilli sauce is cool, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate. Feel free to make this ahead of time, and just store it in the fridge for up to two weeks. It usually tastes even better the next day so this is a great make ahead option for those hot summer days that have you craving something hit-off-the-press quick and easy. I always have some bibim sauce in the fridge for when I need a quick meal like this or bibimbap sauce.

This is also easily created for any of you vegan / vegetarian friends, just don’t add the egg. So you could use mushroom bouillon, or the soaking water of dried shiitake mushrooms instead of beef broth. This modification still makes the sauce perfect to accommodate in your preferred dishes. If you are not pure vegan and skip the beef, then dasida can be an alternative for that ingredient.

Ingredients

Beef Broth

• 1 lb brisket
• 1/4 lb Korean radish
• 1/2 small onion
• 4 green onions bulbs (white parts)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp dashida (beef bouillon)
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
• 4 cups water
• Or make the quick version: 1/4 cup hot water + 1/4 tsp dashed (beef bouillon)

Bibim Sauce

• 1/4 cup beef broth (from above)
• 1/4 Asian pear
• 1/4 small onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp fresh ginger
• 3-4 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
• 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
• 2 tbsp rice syrup
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Toppings

• brisket slices
• thinly sliced cucumbers
• Asian pear slices
• hard boiled egg
• crushed sesame seeds

Bibim Naengmyeon

Instruction

Start by soaking the brisket in a bowl of water for approx. 20 minutes to bleed off. Discard the water, then put brisket inside a medium pot with 5 cups of fresh water and cover it up; let it boil on high. As soon as the water hits a rolling boil, lower heat to low-medium and let that pretty pot of soup simmer for about an hour until brisket is tender-cooked. This will generate about 3 cups of broth. Take the brisket out of the pot and let it cool, then remove stringy fats and slice it into thin pieces.

Pack the daikon in radish pickle sauce and set aside until it has become softened – about 20 minutes. Seal and keep in the refrigeratoruntil ready to use. For the bibim sauce, place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth then refrigerate. The sauce is even better after a few days in the fridge and develops some of that sour, tangy flavor.

Note: The noodles are cooked in boiling water to soften, usually for about 2-3 minutes. In this time move the noodles from side to Side and keep stirring it. They are supposed to be soft but with a bit of bite. When done cooking, hold them under cold running water to rinse and chill while also rinsing off excess starch. Portion the noodles into bowls.

Place everything on top of your noodles — beef, pickled radish, cucumber, pear and a boiled egg And then drizzle the bibim sauce everywhere followed by a small splash of sesame oil and some toasted sesame. For an uber-chilled take, you can make a slushy broth by mixing beef stock with the liquid from dongchimi, along with some sugar and soy sauce.

FAQs Bibim Naengmyeon