Naengmyeon (Cold Buckwheat Noodles in Chilled Beef Broth)

Soak the brisket. Soak the brisket in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain. This draws out surface blood and impurities before the long simmer, helping the finished broth stay clear.

Simmer the brisket. Put the brisket in the stockpot with 3 litres of cold water, bring to the boil while skimming off any foam, then lower to a gentle simmer, covered, for 2 hours until tender. Skimming the foam early is what keeps the broth from turning cloudy and bitter.

Cool the meat and broth. Lift the brisket out to cool, then refrigerate it separately. Cool the broth quickly so it's below 5°C within 2 hours, then refrigerate it overnight, since this swift chilling keeps the broth safe and lets the fat set firm for easy removal.

Remove the fat. The next day, lift off the layer of hard fat that has set on top of the chilled broth. Removing this fat is what gives naengmyeon its clean, light character rather than a greasy one.

Simmer the aromatics. Add the daikon, onion, pear, spring onions, ginger, garlic and peppercorns to the broth and simmer for 1½ hours, then strain to give about 2 litres of broth. This second long simmer with fruit and aromatics builds the broth's signature sweet-savoury depth.

Season the broth. Stir in the salt and sugar until dissolved, then cool the broth quickly and refrigerate it until fully cold (at least 2 hours, or overnight) before stirring in the vinegar. It must be fridge-cold before it goes into the freezer, or it won't turn slushy in time. Taste and adjust boldly, since the broth will taste milder once it's served ice-cold, and cold dulls perceived seasoning.

Freeze to a slush. Pour the broth into shallow freezer-proof containers and freeze for 1-2 hours, until the edges turn slushy, then fork it up into icy shards. This partial freeze is what gives the broth its distinctive icy, granular texture rather than just being cold liquid.

Make the quick pickles. Toss the cucumber and daikon separately with the vinegar, sugar and salt, leave for 10 minutes, then squeeze lightly to remove excess liquid. Keeping them separate stops their colours and flavours bleeding into one another.

Slice the brisket. Slice the cooled brisket thinly against the grain. Cutting across the grain shortens the muscle fibres, making each slice easier to bite through.

Cook the noodles. Boil the naengmyeon noodles according to the packet instructions, usually 40-60 seconds, then drain and rinse hard under cold running water, rubbing them until no longer sticky, and snip once with scissors. The vigorous cold rinse washes off surface starch, which is essential for the noodles' characteristically slippery bite.

Assemble and serve. Divide the noodles among chilled bowls, top with sliced brisket, the quick pickles, pear and half a boiled egg, then ladle over the icy broth and scatter with sesame seeds. Serve with mustard and extra vinegar on the side for guests to adjust to taste.