Recipe: Neng-Myun(Cold Noodle냉면)

Naeng-Myun is winter seasonal delicacy from the northern area of Korea. Prepared by pouring iced soup stock over cooled off cold buckwheat noodle (sari) with garnishes, Naeng Myun is known for its refreshing taste.Among many different Naeng Myun recipes, ones from Pyeongyang and Hamheung were the most popular and still are. Nowadays, Naeng Myun is all-around season popular noodle dish. 

One of old-written record mentioning Naeng Myun can be found in ‘Dongguk Sesigi’ (1849, late Chosun Dynasty):

“ As a seasonal food in winter, buckwheat noodle added with radish Kimchi and cabbage Kimchi, also with pork laid on top, is called Naeng Myun. Among its kind, Pyeongyang naeng myun made in Pyeongan province has particularly excellent taste.”

Because Naeng Myun's taste comes from the soup stock, it takes time and effort! 

Recipe (Ingredients)

 

12 oz chunk of beef meat for stock, ¼ of Chinese radish (daikon), Neng-Myun noodle (buck wheat noodle)  for 4, 2 whole green onions, 4 garlic cloves,  a chunk of ginger (about a thumb size), ¼ of daikon, half onion, 2 eggs, 1 Tsp of finely ground red pepper, salt, vinegar, sugar, yellow wasabi(Gyeu–Ja), ½ cucumber, Asian pear

Direction

Soup Base

Leave meat in water for 30 minutes, letting excessive blood out.

On high heat placed meat in the pot with 10 cups of water.

When it starts to boil, reduce from high to medium heat for about an hour.

Take out fat and foam on the surface of soup while boiling.
Add whole green onion, ½ onion, ginger, and 4 cloves of garlic. Boil for 20 more minutes.

Take out meat, and slice into flat pieces.  Save it for topping.  

Take out vegetables.

Soup Base Seasoning (choose one)

1) Add soy sauce and salt into the soup. (Ratio 5 soy sauce: 1salt).

2) The best way is to add Dongchimi (Water Kimchi). Add 2 cups of Dongchimi water and add salt, if desired.

3) Grind garlic, half chilly pepper, cucumber, onion, daikon, Pear separately and mix. 
Add the mixture into the soup base and add salt if desired.  Put the soup base into the refrigerator and cool it. 

 

Making Ko-myung (tops)

Cut daikon into 2 inch X 1 inch size pieces.  Sprinkle salt, and leave it for a while. Squeeze water out, and add finely ground red pepper.  Use your hand to mix them well. Add a little bit of sugar and vinegar.

Cut cucumber into thin strips. Add salt and leave it for a while.  Squeeze water out.

Cut pear into thin piece. Boil an egg and cut it half. 

Noodle

Boil water in a big pot, and add Neng-Myun noodle (buck wheat). Separate noodle chunks before boiling them.  In about a minute, take out one string and if it is chewy, turn off the heat and wash under cold water.

 

Serve

In a big bowl, place noodle, and add meat slices, daikon mixture, cucumber, pear piece, and half of a boiled egg. Pour cold soup base over it until noodle is 2/3 covered with soup.

Serve with vinegar and yellow wasabi, not green wasabi. (We call Gyeu-Ja) 

Alternatives: There are instant Neng-myun packages in a Korean market.  It is certainly easier…

Recipe: Sinseollo (신선로)

Sinseollo is also called yeolgujatang. During the Yeonsangun era of the Joseon dynasty, a government official named Jeong Hui-ryang was sent into exile to Ui-ju. When he came back, he went into the deep mountain to become a monk out of the fear of more severe purge of scholars. In the mountain, he made a brazier and cooked assorted vegetables with it. After he died, the brazier that he invented was called sinseollo. The container and the food are called same name.

Beef shank, beef brisket, and radish are boiled together, sliced, seasoned, and placed on the bottom of sinseollo mold. Then, slices of raw beef are placed. Upon the raw beef slices, pan-fried fish, pan-fried liver, pan-fried manyplies, watercress seasoned with vinegar, shiitake mushroom, carrot, and pan-fried egg strips are placed. For garnishes, walnuts, gingko nuts, pine nuts, and meatballs are put on the top. Then beef broth is poured onto them. The container is heated with charcoal fire under the container. The dish is eaten while being heated on the table.

* Shrimp is rich in physiologically active substances such as betaine and taurine. Also, it is a nutritious food rich in protein and calcium.

Ingredients

Beef shank and brisket 150g, beef stomach 150g, radish 200g, carrot 100g, beef round 150g, tofu 50g, white-meat fish (for pan-fried) 50g, tripe 50g, liver 100g, watercress 50g, 4 eggs, 5 manna licen mushrooms, 3 shiitake mushrooms, 1 red pepper, 3 walnuts, 12 gingkos, pine nuts 1 tsp, buckwheat flour 2 Tbsp, sesame powder 1 tsp, salts, black pepper, clear soy sauce, oil, flour

Meatball seasonings: salts 1 tsp, chopped green onions 2 tsp, chopped garlic 1 tsp, sesame oil 1 tsp, black pepper

Soup seasonings: clear soy sauce 2 tsp, chopped green onions 4 tsp, sesame oil 2 tsp, black pepper

Directions

1) Wash the shank and brisket lumps with cool water. Boil until meats are tender. Take out the meat, cut into thin pieces, and season. Dip the stomach in boilng water briefly. Scratch the black films off and trim. Put it back into water and boil. While boiling, put the whole radish and carrots. Take them out when half cooked. Cool down the stock. Skim the fat to make jang-guk.

2) Mince the beef round. Season a portion of the minced beef with beef seasonings. Combine another portion with crushed tofu, and season with meatball seasonings. Make 1.2cm-size meatballs. Coat with flour and egg water, and pan-fry.

3) Cut the white fish meat into thin slices to make pan-fried fish. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Rub the tripe with salt one by one. Wash it, make incisions, and sprinkle black peppers. Coat with flour and egg, and pan-fry. Cut the liver into thin slices. Rub with salt to remove blood, wash, take out the water dry cloth. Coat with the mixture of buckwheat flour and sesame flour, and pan-fry.

4) Trim and skewer the watercress. Coated with flour and egg water, and pan-fry.

5) Separate eggs into yolks and whites and mix with salts. Make yellow egg strips with yolks. Make white egg strips with half of the strips. Mix another half of whits with minced manna lichen mushrooms to make black-colored egg strips. (One egg is used for coating, the other three are for strips)

6) Moisten the shiitake mushrooms (prepare big ones).

7) Soak the walnuts in hot water, and skin with toothpicks. Roast gingkos, skin by rubbing with paper on them. Trim the pine nuts are trimmed.

8) Remove the seeds from the red pepper, cut into even length.

9) Cut the egg strips, pan-fried watercress, pan-fried food, shiitake, and carrots into diamond shape. (The length of the ingredient would be the size of the width of the mold, and the width would be approximately 3cm.)

10) Cut the beef shank, brisket, and radish into thin slices, and season with soup seasonings. Place them at the bottom of sinseollo mold. Place the seasoned beef, and then the diamond-shaped ingredients by matching colors. Arrange the walnuts, Gingkoes, pine nuts, and meatballs for toppings.

11) Season the beef stock with clear soy sauce and salt. Prepare it warm before pouring. Serve with a charcoal fire on the firepot in the middle of the container.

Recipe: Samgyetang(삼계탕)

This is a good recipe during summer with Bean noodle and Neng-myun. Water should be cold, and if you like it really cool, add ice cubes.  Not recommended to people or kids who don't like distinctive bean smell.  

Ingredients to bring back home

Traditional Korean ingredients and spices for cooking Korean dishes include: Gochujang (red pepper paste), Gochugaru (red pepper powder), Doenjang (soybean paste), Sesame oil, Ginseng, Gingko nuts, Dates and Rice wine. These items are available for purchase anywhere in Korea.

Samgyetang

Koreans eat Samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup) during the hottest months of summer because it enhances virility. It is easy to make anywhere with all of the necessary ingredients. Special ingredients, such as Ginseng and Jujubes (dried dates) are important for taste and appearance.

Ingredients

1 whole small chicken, 1 Ginseng root, 1/3 cup glutinous rice, 3 dates, 4 chestnuts, 6 cloves of garlic, a small piece of ginger, half sliced onion, 1 bunch of scallions, salt, ground pepper.

Direction

• Cut the abdomen of the chicken lengthwise. Remove the organs, tip of the wings and neck optional, but leave the body whole.

• Wash the glutinous rice, and soak it for about an hour. Wash and prepare the dates and chestnuts for cooking.

• Stuff the soaked glutinous rice along with the cloves of garlic into the chicken. Sew the ends to keep the rice inside the chicken. Cross the legs, and tie them with string.

• Place the chicken in a pot and pour in about 4 cups of water. Place the Ginseng root, chestnuts, dates, ginger, onions and scallions in the pot and cook under medium heat for about 40 minutes.

• When the ingredients inside the chicken are fully cooked, remove the scallions, onions, and ginger. Finish by seasoning the broth with salt and pepper.

• Serve unseasoned. You can add salt and pepper to your preference, but some cooks add salt immediately before serving.

Recipe: Glass Noodle Stir-Fry (잡채)

Ingredients

12 oz of glass noodle (Dang Myun) for 4 servings, 4 oz of beef , 5 shitake mushroom, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 egg, spinach (a bunch), 5 Tbs of oil, salt, sesame seed oil, sesame seeds    

Seasoning 

2 Tbs of soy sauce, 1 Tbs of sugar, 1 Tbs of garlic, 1 Tbs of sesame seed oil, 1 Tbs of chopped green onion, ground black pepper








Directions

1. In hot tap water soak glass noodle for about thirty minutes.

1. Soak shitake mushroom in water for 15 minutes and cut off stem.  Cut mushroom into thin strips. Cut beef into thin strips.  
2. Mix all the ingredients for seasoning and marinate beef and mushroom in a same bowl. 
3. Meanwhile, cut carrot and onion into thin strips. 
4. In boiling water, cook spinach for about two minutes.  Cool spinach in running water, and squeeze water out. Season with salt and sesame seed oil.
5. Whip egg, mixing yolk and whites.  Add a little salt, and make thin and round egg fry on a skillet. Cut into thin strips. (If you want, you can separate egg whites and yolks to add more colors.) 
6. In a deep and large pan, start cooking beef and mushroom with oil.  When beef is cooked, add carrot, onion, spinach and noodle.
7. Stir-fry for until vegetables and cooked.  Add egg strips and mix.  Add a little bit of sesame seed oil before turn off the heat. 

On a dish, place mixture with noodle, and sprinkle sesame seeds on top as a final touch.

Recipe: Kimchi (포기김치)

Kimchi

Kimchi varies widely depending on the forms, kind of ingredients, and preparation method. According to research, only on the basis of the main ingredients used, Kimchi comes in 187 different categories. There are 25 types of cabbage Kimchi, 54 types of Kimchi, 10 types of cucumber Kimchi, 54 types of Kimchi with other vegetables, 5 types of seafood Kimchi, and 21 other types of Kimchi made with a variety of other ingredients.

Kimchi Ingredients

Chinese cabbage

   Chinese cabbage is one of the most important basic ingredients used in Kimchi. It retains rich vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that have medicinal qualities.

White Radish

   Radish is mostly made of water. Radish roots are rich in vitamin C. It also holds the digestive enzyme, diastase, which promotes digestion when served uncooked.

Chili peppers

   Capsaicin within chili peppers is responsible for the hot flavor of Kimchi. It raises the body’s metabolism, which results in burning fat. Thus, Kimchi prevents the accumulation of fat in the human body.

Garlic

   Garlic quickens secreting digestive juice and stimulates the nerve system, promoting the circulation of blood.

Ginger

   Ginger is about 80% water and is rich in minerals. Ginger has certain pungent flavor and a spicy taste due to ginger one. It is also low in calories.

Pickled seafood

   Fermented pickled seafood accelerates the ripening of Kimchi while, at the same time, heightening the content of amino acids, contributing to both taste and nutrition.

Salt

   When cabbage is soaked in salt water, salt penetrates the vegetables by osmotic reaction. The osmotic pressure reduces the size of the cabbage creating a permeable environment for microorganisms, enzymes, and organic substances in the vegetables to react together and activate the lactic acid for better fermentation.

Recipe (Baechu Kimchi)

Ingredients

Chinese cabbage 30kg or 10 heads

Coarse salt 3kg or 19cups

White radishes 4.5kg or 3

Thin green onions 400g or 1 bundle

Mustard leaves 1kg or 1 bundle

Minari (Korean parsley) 600g or 2 bundles

Green onion 400g or ½ lengths

Garlic 400g or 10 bulbs

Ginger 100g or 3 roots

Red chili pepper powder 800g or 10 cups

Warm water 2 cups

Pickled shrimp 250g or 1 cup

Picked anchovies 200g or 1 cup

Fresh oysters 200g or 1 cup

Fresh shrimp 300g or 2 cups

Table salt

Sugar

Direction

►Salting the cabbages

     Wash and trim the cabbage. Cut each cabbage into halves or into quarters lengthwise. Make brine water with coarse salt, leaving some for later use. Dip the divided cabbage sections in the salted water. Take them out and sprinkle the remaining coarse salt around their stems. Pile the salt cabbage in a big jar with the sliced surface facing up. Make sure that all sections are well salted by turning them upside down after letting them stand for 5hours.

►Making the stuffing

   Trim and slice the white radishes and mix them well with soaked red chili pepper powder water until the peppery red tint is set. And season with salt. Mix radish with chopped garlic, ginger, pickled shrimp, and fresh ground shrimp. Add minari, mustard leaves, thin green onion, and green onion. Mix again gently. Check the taste and season with salt and sugar if needed. Lastly, add the oysters into the mixture and toss it well.

►Stuffing and Fermenting

   Place the stuffing into a large bowl. Pack the stuffing between the cabbage leaves. Bundle each stuffed cabbage section with outer leaves. Pile the cabbage sections in a container with the sliced surface facing up. Press hard. Pack them up 4/5 height of the container and cover the top with left over cabbage leaves. Allow to ferment at 3~10°C. Sprinkle salt sufficiently on the top of the completed Kimchi for long-term storage.

Recipe: Bibimbap (비빔밥)

Bibimbap

Bibimbap combines the spiciness of red pepper paste with steamed rice and vegetables, which creates a pleasant harmony. Although making the steamed rice takes time, preparing the vegetables in this dish is fairly easy.

Recipe (Ingredients)

Rice 800g, bean sprouts 200g, spinach 100g, Chinese bellflower 80g, 2 shiitake mushrooms, hard salt, 1/3 carrot, 3 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, salt, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 3 tablespoons of Gochujang (red pepper paste), 4 eggs.

Directions

►Wash the rice three times to remove the starch and place it in a thick pot with three cups of water.

►Boil over high heat for about 15 minutes and then reduce the heat and boil for five more minutes. Do not open the lid until the rice is fully cooked.

►Parboil the bean sprouts and then season them with sesame oil, salt and minced garlic.

►Boil the spinach quickly in boiling water and then rinse it in cold water. Squeeze the excess water and then season them with sesame oil and salt.

►Grease the pan with sesame oil and place the Chinese bellflowers on the pan. Parch them with sesame oil, minced garlic and salt.

►Cut the shiitake mushrooms into thin slices, and then parch them in a pan.

►Dice the carrot into small, thin strips about 4~5 cm long, and then pay-pry them.

►Fry the eggs, and make sure the yolk does not break.

►Place the rice in a big bowl, and then add the vegetables, followed by the Gochujang.

►Finish by placing the egg on top of the steamed rice and vegetables. 

Recipe: Bulgogi (불고기)

Bulgogi

Bulgogi is slices of marinated barbecued beef (sometimes pork) seasoned with soy sause and sugar, which gives a mild and sweet taste. The literal meaning of bulgogi is “fire meat” and therefore roasted over fire. It is one of the most popular Korean dishes. Bulgogi tastes are great with Kimchi.

Recipe (Ingredients)

 

Beef sirloin 600g, onions, scallions, mushrooms, 6 tablespoons soy sauce, garlic, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of crushed sesame, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon ground pepper, 1 tablespoon molasses, 1.5 tablespoons rice wine.

Directions

► Slice the meat thinly against the grain and marinate them in the rice wine and sugar for about 30 minutes.

► Mix the soy sauce with minced garlic, scallions, crushed sesame, ground pepper and sesame oil.

► Pour the soy sauce mixture over the marinated meat. Make sure the soy sauce is mixed evenly with the meat.

► Place the mea on a frying pan and cook over high heat.

► When the meat is almost fully cooked, add the sliced onions and mushrooms and cook until the meat is well done.