Bibim Guksu (Korean Spicy Cold Noodles)
Spicy and sweet Korean cold noodles for an easy but additive meal, particularly suitable for a hot day!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Spicy Sauce Phase 1
- 2 ⅓ oz (67 g) ground pork
- 2 ½ Tbsp water
- 2 ⅓ Tbsp diced onion
- ⅗ cup (140 ml) chopped green onion
- 2 ½ Tbsp mirim
- 2 ½ Tbsp sugar
- 2 ½ Tbsp mulyeot or ssalyeot Korean corn syrup or rice syrup*
- 5 Tbsp soy sauce ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp
Spicy Sauce Phase 2
- 4 Tbsp Korean pear blended half pear and half water** see optional note below
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- ¼ tsp minced ginger
- 6 Tbsp (37 g) go-eun gochugaru (fine Korean chili powder 고은고추가루) approximate
- Sprinkle of ground black pepper
Assemble - per serving/bowl
- 4 oz (115 g) Somyeon (Korean thin wheat noodles) per bowl or 16 oz for 4 servings
- sliced danmuji (yellow pickled radish) to taste about 3 Tbsp per bowl
- Chopped kimchi to taste about 3 Tbsp per bowl
- Chopped green onion to taste about 2 Tbsp per bowl
- 1 Tbsp Roasted sesame seeds per bowl
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil to taste - some prefer about 2 Tbsp but I think 1 was enough per bowl
Instructions
Spicy Sauce Phase 1
- Heat a saucepan on medium heat, add in the ground pork and water. As the mixture begins to cook, add in the diced onions and chopped green onions. Continue to mix around so the meat doesn’t clump. Let it simmer until the green onions have softened (1-2 minutes).
- Continue to add in the mirim, sugar, mulyeot and soy sauce. Cook until the meat is fully cooked through (2-3 more minutes).
- Cool the sauce. Once the sauce is cooled, there may be some oil on top (depending on your meat), spoon off the top if there is oil floating.*You can make this part of the sauce a day ahead. Or, you can also pour the sauce into another clean bowl and place it in a bowl of ice water so that the sauce will cool quickly.
Spicy Sauce Phase 2
- In the meantime, juice or blend 2 Tbsp of pear.*If using a blender, mix the pear with about 2 Tbsp of water and omit the extra 2 Tbsp water in the sauce recipe. In a pinch, you can also use apple juice.
- Once the 1st phase sauce is cooled, add in the 2nd phase ingredients. Add in the pear juice (and water), minced garlic, minced ginger, and gochugaru. Mix well. Sprinkle with ground black pepper.
Assemble
- Make the noodles. If using Korean wheat noodles, bring a pot of water to boil. Add in the noodles. Once the pot begins to come to a rumbling boil (2-3 minutes), pour in about ½ cup of cold water. Then allow the pot to come to a boil again and pour in another ½ cup of cold water. Do this about 1-2 more times. Once the noodles are at your desired texture, drain and run around cold water.(Or, cook the noodles according to the package)
- Plate the noodles into bowls. Pour in ¼ of the sauce into each portion of noodles. Top with danmuji, kimchi and green onions. Pour in a Tbsp of sesame oil per bowl.
Notes
*If the sauce seems too thick, add in a bit of water.
**If you don't have Korean pear, you can use American pear or I've tried with apple juice as well and it was not noticeable. 1 Tbsp = 15 ml
1 cup = 240 ml
**If you don't have Korean pear, you can use American pear or I've tried with apple juice as well and it was not noticeable. 1 Tbsp = 15 ml
1 cup = 240 ml