Name: Korean buckwheat noodles with beef and nashi
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 300 gm naeng myun noodles (see note); 1 tbsp sesame oil; 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved; 1 firm nashi pear, thinly sliced, to serve; 1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into matchsticks, to serve; To serve: cabbage kimchi (see note); Daikon pickle; 150 gm daikon, cut into matchsticks; 1 tsp ground chilli; 1 tsp white vinegar; 1 tsp white sugar; Chilli sauce; 200 ml beef or chicken stock; 60 gm (¼ cup) gochu jang chilli paste (see note); 35 gm white sugar; 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (see note); 1 tsp sesame oil; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; Stir-fried beef; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 300 gm beef fillet, thinly sliced; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 3 spring onions, green part only, thinly sliced, plus extra to serve; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Korean buckwheat noodles with beef and nashi

Made from buckwheat and potato flour, naeng myun noodles are chewier and paler than the Japanese buckwheat noodles.

Serves 6

Prep

30M

Cook

10M

Total

40M

“This cold noodle dish is especially popular in summer, but Koreans nevertheless enjoy it year-round. This recipe is from Subi Chung, formerly of Hallah Restaurant in Melbourne.”

Ingredients

300 gm naeng myun noodles (see note)

1 tbsp sesame oil

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved

1 firm nashi pear, thinly sliced, to serve

1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into matchsticks, to serve

To serve: cabbage kimchi (see note)

Daikon pickle

150 gm daikon, cut into matchsticks

1 tsp ground chilli

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp white sugar

Chilli sauce

200 ml beef or chicken stock

60 gm (¼ cup) gochu jang chilli paste (see note)

35 gm white sugar

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (see note)

1 tsp sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Stir-fried beef

2 tbsp vegetable oil

300 gm beef fillet, thinly sliced

2 tbsp soy sauce

3 spring onions, green part only, thinly sliced, plus extra to serve

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Method

1.For daikon pickle, combine daikon and ½ tsp sea salt in a non-reactive bowl and stand for 10 minutes. Squeeze liquid from daikon, combine with remaining ingredients and set aside.

2.For chilli sauce, combine ingredients in a bowl, season to taste with sea salt, set aside.

3.Cook noodles in boiling salted water until just cooked (4-5 minutes), drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain well, toss with sesame oil and set aside.

4.For stir-fried beef, heat oil in a wok over high heat, add remaining ingredients, season to taste with freshly ground pepper, stir-fry until beef is just seared (1-2 minutes), then set aside to cool to room temperature.

5.To serve, divide noodles, stir-fried beef, daikon pickle and hard-boiled egg among bowls, scatter with extra spring onion and serve at room temperature with nashi, cucumber, kimchi and chilli sauce.

Note Naeng myun noodles, cabbage kimchi, gochu jang chilli paste and toasted sesame seeds are available from select Asian supermarkets. If naeng myun are unavailable, substitute buckwheat noodles.
Notes