Jjajangmyeon Black Bean Noodles
Ingredients
Noodles
- 400g fresh thick wheat noodles
- 6 cups water for boiling
Sauce
- 8 oz pork neck substitute with shoulder or belly
- 1 tbsp mirin substitute with cooking wine or sake
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 ½ cups onions diced
- 1 ½ cups cabbage diced
- 1 ½ cups zucchini diced
- 1 long green pepper or jalapeno sliced 1/4 inch, diagonally
- 2 scallions chopped
- ½ cup fermented black bean paste chunjang
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 ½ cups water for more flavor, use low-sodium chicken or beef broth
- 1 tsp msg optional
Starch Slurry
- 1 tbsp potato starch or cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
Garnish
- ½ cucumber sliced
Instructions
- Cut the pork into bite size pieces. Marinate in mirin, salt, and white pepper for 10 minutes.
- In a pan, fry the black bean paste 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 in the same pan, sautee the scallions and peppers for 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the pork and saute until fully cooked.
- Toss in the onions, cabbage, and zucchini and cook for 2 to 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.If the sauce is too loose, you can cook it down for a couple more minutes or add more starch slurry until it reaches your desired thickness. If you find that the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water to loosen it up.
- 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 them 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.