Jjajangmyeon (Korean Black Bean Noodles)
Korea's favourite Chinese-style noodle dish: chewy noodles under a glossy sauce of fried black bean paste, pork and plenty of sweet onion.
Method
Cut the pork into 1.5 cm cubes. Cut the onion, cabbage and zucchini into 1.5 cm pieces too, and the potato a little smaller (1 cm), since it takes longest to cook. Thinly slice the green onion, mince the garlic and cut the cucumber into fine 5 cm matchsticks.
Put the oil and chunjang in a 20 cm pan and fry over low heat for , stirring constantly. It is ready when the paste loosens into the oil, bubbles gently and smells toasty. Unfried chunjang tastes bitter and raw, and on higher heat it scorches quickly, so keep the heat low. Scrape the fried paste and its oil into a bowl.
Add in this stepNeutral vegetable oil 3¼ tbspChunjang (Korean black bean paste) 5 tbsp
low heatHeat the remaining oil in a 26 cm wok or deep frying pan over medium-high heat and stir the green onion and garlic briefly until fragrant. Add the pork and stir-fry for until it turns white and releases some fat, then pour the soy sauce around the hot edge of the pan so it sizzles and caramelises.
Add in this stepNeutral vegetable oil 1¾ tbspLarge green onion (Korean daepa or leek-like scallion) 30 gGarlic cloves 2Pork belly or shoulder 150 gSoy sauce 2 tsp
medium-high heatAdd the onion, potato, cabbage and zucchini and stir-fry over high heat for , until the onion edges turn translucent and the vegetables just begin to soften. The sweetness of the onion makes the sauce, so don't rush this.
Add in this stepOnion 300 gPotato 120 gGreen cabbage 100 gZucchini (courgette) 80 g
high heatAdd the fried chunjang, sugar and oyster sauce and stir until everything is coated, then pour in the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn down to medium heat and simmer for . The potato is done when a chopstick slides in easily.
Add in this stepSugar 1 tbspOyster sauce 1 tbspWater 350 ml
medium-high heat→medium heatMeanwhile, bring 2.5 L of water to a rolling boil over high heat and cook the noodles for (follow the packet if it differs), loosening them with chopsticks at the start so they don't stick. Drain, rinse quickly under cold water to remove surface starch, then pour some hot water over them to rewarm and divide between bowls.
Add in this stepFresh wheat noodles (thick, ramen-style) 300 g
high heatStir the potato starch into the cold water, then pour it into the sauce a little at a time, stirring over medium heat for . Stop when the sauce turns glossy and coats a spoon. The starch sinks, so stir the mixture again just before adding, and add it gradually while you watch the thickness.
Add in this stepPotato starch 2 tbspCold water for the starch 4 tbsp
medium heatLadle plenty of sauce over the noodles and top with the cucumber. Mix the noodles and sauce together well just before eating.
Add in this stepCucumber 60 g
Cook's tip
Be generous with the onion; it is what makes jjajang taste right. If the sauce is too salty, add a splash of water and bring it back to a boil; if it is bland, stir in a little more fried chunjang. Leftover sauce keeps for 2 days in the fridge; loosen it with a spoonful or two of water when reheating. Spooned over rice, it becomes jjajangbap.
Cooking it at camp
One burner, a deep pan and a pot are all you need. Cut the meat and vegetables at home and pack them in zip bags, and fry the chunjang ahead in a sealed tub to save 10 minutes on site. Weak camp burners take longer, so go by the look of the onion rather than the clock. Bring plenty of cold water for rinsing the noodles.