Jja Jang Myun – Noodles in black bean sauce

As promised in my Kkan poong shrimp post, here’s a recipe for Jja Jang Myun, aka, noodles in black bean sauce. Hope you enjoy this recipe, Silvett!

While traditional Korean dishes have been widespread, such as kimchi or marinated meats, there is a whole other cuisine that also deserves some attention! Chinese style Korean food was born when Chinese immigrants settled in Korea in the 19th century, and 2005 marked the 100th anniversary of this popular dish, according to wikipedia. I’ve also seen Chinese versions of this dish, called Dan Dan noodles, but have yet to give it a try.

Growing up in Korea, I have early memories of eating Jja Jang Myun. It was a ubiquitous dish, not to mention cheap! Whenever we’d order it for delivery, the men would carry the food in a big tin box with handles, on a motorcycle. The noodles came in actual bowls, so we’d have to put the dirty dishes outside, so that the delivery men could come back for it later. I assume this is no longer the case.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of introducing Chinese-style Korean food to some folks from Midtown Lunch. We gorged on Jja Jang Myun, Jjam Pong (noodles in seafood in spicy broth), fried rice, garlic chicken and of course, some delicious Kkang Poong shrimp as well. It was really fun to eat with those guys!

The noodles I chose for this dish are similar to the ones I see served at restaurants, which are more like egg noodles, resembling the color of spaghetti. You can actually buy the Jja Jang Myun noodles, which are white in color, in the frozen section.

Recipe: Jja Jang Myun (Noodles in black bean sauce)
Makes 2 generous servings

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of pork belly, diced into chunks (skin on or off, up to you)
1 medium-sized potato, cut into small cubes
1 large onion, minced
2 tablespoons of black bean sauce (must be Korean brand, no substitutes)
2 teaspoons of sugar
2 teaspoons of corn starch
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 kirby cucumber, cut into thin strips – for garnish
1 package of Dan Moo Ji (pickled radish)

Procedure:

1. Prepare all the vegetables.

2. In a frying pan (or wok), saute pork and garlic over high heat, about 3 minutes. Cook until fat is rendered. (Sidenote: I used a minimal amount of pork just because that’s what I had.)

3. Lower heat to medium. Add potato and onion. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, until onion is soft and translucent.

4. Add 2 tablespoons of Jja Jang sauce to the pan, allowing the sauce to release flavors. Cook for 5 minutes over low heat. Add sugar and sesame oil.

5. Add 2 cups of water. Let it simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. In a separate bowl, mix together cornstarch and just enough hot water to make a paste. Add to the sauce and stir.

7. Meanwhile, cook your noodles according to package instructions. I just had to warm up these egg noodles for a few minutes in boiling water.

8. Serve with cucumber pieces on top. Eat with pickled radish (with a splash of vinegar) and kimchi.