When I went to Korea, the very first thing I did was order a bowl of jjajangmyeon! My mom always talked about how she missed the jjajangmyeon in Korea and it also looked so good when they ordered it in Korean dramas.
The rich and hearty black bean sauce with the chewy bouncy noodles are such a good combo! Plus, it’s so easy to make.
I’m so glad I can make this at home because it’s the ultimate comfort food and it brings back so many memories of Korea!
Jjajangmyeon Black Bean Noodles
Ingredients
- 8 oz pork shoulder or belly
- 1 tbsp mirin or cooking wine
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 ½ cups of onions diced
- 1 ½ cups of cabbage diced
- 1 ½ cups of zucchini diced
- 1 long green pepper or jalapeno sliced diagonally
- 2 scallions chopped
- ½ cup fermented black bean paste
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 tsp msg optional
- ½ cucumber sliced for garnish
Starch Slurry
- 1 tbsp potato starch or cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
Noodles
- 400g fresh thick wheat noodles
- 6 cups water for boiling
Instructions
- Cut the pork into bite size pieces. Marinate in mirin, salt, and white pepper for 10 minutes.
- In a pan, fry the chunjang with ¼ cup of oil over low heat for about 5 minutes or until glossy. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Using the leftover oil, sautee the scallions and peppers for 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Add the pork and saute until fully cooked.
- Toss in the onions, cabbage, and zucchini and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the black bean paste and mix to coat the vegetables.
- Pour in the water and bring it to a boil until the vegetables are tender. Add the sugar, starch slurry and msg to finish the sauce.
- In a large pot with boiling water, cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
- Drain and rinse the noodles in cold water and drain again.
- Place one serving of the noodles into a large bowl. Pour a generous amount of sauce on top.
- Garnish with cucumbers and enjoy!
Notes
1. Make sure to rinse the noodles in cold water after draining to get that chewy bouncy texture.
2. I prefer using pork neck but you can use other cuts like pork belly and shoulder.
2. I prefer using pork neck but you can use other cuts like pork belly and shoulder.
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