Ice-Cold Buckwheat Naengmyeon

Prepare the broth by combining the chilled beef broth with rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then taste and adjust the sweet-sour-salty balance. The broth should be slightly more intense than you want since the ice will dilute it. Refrigerate or freeze until ice-cold.

Cook the naengmyeon noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions, usually 3-4 minutes. These noodles are very chewy, so test a strand to ensure they are cooked through.

Drain the noodles immediately and rinse vigorously under cold running water, rubbing them between your hands to remove all surface starch. This is critical for the right texture.

Continue rinsing until the water runs clear and the noodles feel slippery and ice-cold. Drain thoroughly.

Divide the cold noodles among four bowls, swirling them into a neat mound in the center of each bowl.

Pour the ice-cold broth around the noodle mound in each bowl, filling about two-thirds up the sides.

Arrange sliced brisket, half a hard-boiled egg, Asian pear slices, julienned cucumber, and pickled radish on top of each noodle mound.

Add a generous handful of ice cubes or crushed ice to each bowl to keep everything bracingly cold.

Serve immediately with Korean mustard and extra rice vinegar on the side so each diner can adjust the tang and heat to their preference.