Cherry Naengmyeon

I crave naengmyeon regularly. Something about the combination of savory tangy broth, chewy noodles, and quick pickled things all coming together in a bowl just does it for me. The unfortunate reality is that San Francisco doesn't have many Korean restaurants that do this dish well. I'll never forget paying almost $30 for a mediocre bowl of naengmyeon once, vowing that we'd never make such a mistake again.

After we went cherry picking a couple weekends ago, I threw this dish together at home on a whim and realized that making naengmyeon from scratch doesn't have to be hard. I always thought the briny liquid from dongchimi (Korean water radish kimchi) was required in order to make this dish but thankfully rice vinegar (used to flash pickle the cherries) subs in beautifully. 

Along with a few other hacks, like cooking the eggs and noodles in the same pot, and using wasabi in lieu of traditional Asian mustard, this recipe is a keeper that we'll continue coming back to. Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions!!

Cherry Naengmyeon (2 servings)

Handful of fresh cherries 

Hefty pinch of salt, about 1-2 tsp

Generous sprinkle of sugar, about 1-2 TBSP 

Rice vinegar 

2 eggs

2 servings of frozen naengmyeon noodles (you can find them in a pack of 8 noodle bundles in the freezer section at H-Mart!)

1 sirloin steak (I like the prime beef loin top sirloin from Costco)

2-3 cups beef broth

Soy sauce or fish sauce (or both)

Sesame seeds

Wasabi or Asian mustard (optional)

Step 1. Make beef broth and freeze. Whether you use beef bouillon cubes, boxed broth, or make it from scratch, it doesn't matter. Whatever works for you! Season beef broth with a dash of soy sauce and a dash of fish sauce. I used both! It should taste lightly seasoned and savory. Store in a freezer safe container and freeze for 4 to 6 hours, shaking the container every so often until broth becomes an icy slush. If completely frozen, thaw down until half liquid half ice and blitz in the blender. Store in the freezer or fridge until ready to serve.

Step 2. Make cherry pickles. Cut cherries in half, removing the pit. Add enough rice vinegar to cover the cherries and season with salt and sugar. Adjust to taste. It should be very tangy and a little sweet. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Step 3. Prep the meat. Wrap the meat in a piece of foil and roast at 400 for 15-20 minutes. I love using my countertop toaster oven for this. Check for doneness by pressing the top of the steak with your finger. It should be firm but bounce back slightly. Set aside to rest and once completely cooled, cut into thin slices.

Step 4. Cook noodles and eggs. Perfectly jammy eggs cook in 8 minutes and chewy naengmyeon noodles cook in 1.5 to 2 mins. Bring water to a boil in a medium pot and cook eggs for 6 minutes. Add the noodles to the same pot and cook for another 1.5 to 2 minutes. Strain immediately. Dunk eggs and noodles into ice bath and wash/rinse the noodles well. Strain out water and portion noodles into single servings. Peel the eggs and cut in half. 

Step 5. Assemble and enjoy! Place noodles in a wide bowl. Add beef broth slush, several splashes of the cherry rice vinegar (more if you like it tangy like I do), pickled cherries, sirloin strips, jammy egg, and sprinkle it all with sesame seeds at the end. If you'd like, add a dab of wasabi. Enjoy immediately.