First, the shopping list:
1 1/2 lb of sirloin steak
1 lb other steak
ginger
garlic
scallions
cucumber
soba
Simple, eh? I had everything else on hand. I actually bought a 2 lb roast and sliced it into the two steaks.
Bulgogi
First get the steak marinating:
1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak
6 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 T. finely chopped peeled ginger
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. rice vinegar
2 tsp. ground toasted sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 t. sugar
ground black pepper
For the ground toasted sesame seeds, toast 1/4 C. seeds in a dry non-stick skillet. Grind in mortar with salt (1 t. or so).
Score steak deeply (nearly through to the other side) in a 1-inch crisscross diamond pattern. Turn over and score the other side. Cover with plastic wrap and pound lightly with a heavy pan to tenderize.
In a shallow dish large enough to hold the steak, combine remaining ingredients. Add the stak and turn to coat with marinade. Cover and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 8, turning from time to time.
Now get the broth started for the noodles.
Naengmyon
1 lb. beef for boiling (pot roast or round steak)
2 C. vegetable broth
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. ground toasted sesame seeds (see above)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
6 T. rice or cider vinegar
2 T. pepper vinegar (recipe calls for kimchi juice)
1 T. sugar
salt to taste
1 lb. buckwheat noodles (soba)
2 hard cooked eggs, peeled and sliced
Cover the beef in broth, plus a quart of water and bring to a boil. Skim the surface, then reduce heat, cover and simmer beef until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Then, allow the meat to cool in the broth.
Once the broth is going, you have THREE HOURS before you eat. Make some Lettuce Wraps for an appetizer.
Now, make the other things that go on the noodles.
Hard cook the eggs: cover with cold water; bring to a boil for 5 minutes; turn off heat, cover pan and let sit for 20 minutes; rinse with cold water and let sit in cold water for 5 minutes before peeling.
Vinegar Mustard sauce:
3 T. soy sauce
4 1/2 t. rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
Mix together in a small bowl. I used dijon instead of dry mustard, because I didn't have any. I am sure it changed the texture, but it was good.
Marinated cucumbers:
1 T. salt
1 cucumber, cut lengthwise and sliced
1 T. rice vinegar
1 T. pepper vinegar
1 1/2 t. sugar
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
In a bowl, sprinkle the salt on the cucumber slices, then cover with water. Let sit for 20 minutes, then drain and rinse and squeeze out excess moisture. In a small bowl or tupperware combine the cucumbers, vinegars, sugar and red pepper. Refrigerate until serving.
When the broth is cooled, remove the beef, trim off any fat and thinly slice. In a small bowl, combine the sliced beef with soy sauce, sesame seeds, garlic and a generous grinding of black pepper.
Mix the broth with the vinegars, sugar and salt. Cool in refrigerator.
Prepare the noodles, drain and rinse in cold water.
To serve, put noodles in a bowl and add broth mixture to cover noodle halfway. Top with sliced egg, beef, cukes and mustard sauce. Set the beef, cukes and mustard out to be added individually. In this picture, the sliced bulgogi is on the left and the steak for the noodles is on the right.
Heat the skinny grill. Cook the steak 4-5 minutes on each side, to medium rare. Slice and serve.
Verdict: B+ for steak, B for noodles. Serve it hot to make it an A.
Credits: Marinated Grilled Beef (Bulgogi) and Cold Buckwheat Noodles (Naengmyon) from Eating Well May/June 1993
Leftovers? Keep the noodle elements separately. The beef is great the next day.
Notes: The noodles are actually better with warm broth. Serve the broth while still warm, or use the broth to cook the noodles. As a warm meal, it still works with cold toppings and gets an A. Beef soup to go with grilled beef is overkill. Save the bulgogi for another meal.
