Korean Beef Milmyeon
Chilled buckwheat noodles topped with sliced beef, cucumber, and a tangy-sweet vinegar sauce. A refreshing Korean summer dish ready in 20 minutes.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 480
- Protein
- 32g
Ingredients
- 8 oz buckwheat noodles (naengmyeon)
- ½ lb beef sirloin or ribeye steak
- 1 whole cucumber
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- 1
Place the beef sirloin in the freezer for 10 minutes so it is firm and easier to slice thinly.
- 2
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat, about 5 minutes.
- 3
Slice the cucumber lengthwise into thin matchsticks about the width of a toothpick, using a vegetable peeler or sharp knife; discard the watery seed core.
- 4
In a small bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon sugar until the sugar dissolves completely.
- 5
Remove the beef from the freezer and slice it against the grain (perpendicular to the long muscle lines) into paper-thin strips about 1/8-inch thick.
- 6
Add the buckwheat noodles to the boiling water and stir gently to separate them, cooking until just tender, about 4 minutes; then drain into a colander and rinse under ice-cold running water until completely cold.
- 7
Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water, then place a smaller serving bowl in the center so it stays cold while you assemble.
- 8
Divide the cold noodles between two bowls, creating a nest in the center of each.
- 9
Arrange the sliced beef in a mound on top of the noodles in each bowl, piling it in the center.
- 10
Pile the cucumber matchsticks on top of the beef in each bowl.
- 11
Pour the vinegar sauce evenly over both bowls, dividing it in half.
- 12
Serve immediately so the noodles remain cold and firm.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot (4-quart minimum)
- colander
- small bowl
- sharp knife
- cutting board
- vegetable peeler (optional)
- two serving bowls
- large bowl
- ice
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