Korean Spicy Black Bean Noodles - Buljjajangmyeon

A savory hearty sauce of meat and vegetables tossed through noodles with a little spice to keep things interesting.

Korean Spicy Black Bean Noodles - Buljjajangmyeon

Serves 6 - 8

Jjangmyeon was one of the first Korean dishes I made back in 2018. Its flavors are familiar to those of many cultures through the combination of beans and meat. The slight twist here comes from the richness achieved through the use of chungjang (fermented black bean paste). This is such a favorite in our house that we eat it once a month!

“Recipe Tips:

1. To make traditional Jjangmyeon omit the chilis and gochagaru.

2. I prefer to use potato starch as the thickener rather than cornstarch as cornstarch will make the resulting sauce too thick.

3. I like to use a lot of vegetables compared to the amount of meat. You can choose to add as many or as few of the optional vegetables as you like. To make vegan, do not add the meat and use a vegan oyster sauce. If desired, the meat can be replaced with chopped king oyster mushrooms.

4. For Jjangbap – Korean Black Bean Sauce over rice. Replace noodles with rice”

Ingredients

540g (about 1.25 lbs) pork belly, pork shoulder or beef chuck, cut into .5 in cubes

1.5 T vegetable oil

300g (.75 c) chungjang

2 T oyster sauce

15g (1 T) ginger, minced

8 garlic cloves, minced

1.5 T soy sauce

1 t kosher salt

.50 t white pepper

Pinch of MSG - optional

70ml (1/3 c) Shaoxing wine or mirin

Mix-Ins 1

700ml (3.5 c) water or chicken broth

454g (about 1 lb) onion, sliced .25 in thick with the grain

340g (.75 lbs) Korean radish, cut into .5 in cubes

220g (about .25 lb) carrot, cut into .5 in cubes – optional

3 Korean cheongyang or serrano chilis, chopped

5 - 6 t gochagaru

2 - 3 small dried chilis

Mix-Ins 2

390g (about .75 lb) potatoes, cut into .5 in cubes stored in cold water until needed

Mix-Ins 3

200g (about .25 lb) white cabbage, cut into .5 in cubes - optional

300g (1 medium) Korean squash or zuchinni, cut into .5 in cubes - optional

Thickener

2 T sugar

4 T potato starch

6 T water

Finishing

2 t sesame oil

2 scallions, sliced

1 seedless cucumber, thinly julienne - optional

6-8 portions of wheat noodles, cooked according to package directions, rinsed briefly under warm water, shaken dry

Fried eggs - optional

Recipe Know-how

1.      In a large pot, over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil.

• Add the meat and saute until the edges are beginning to crisp. Remove from the pot and set aside. Pour off all but 1.5 T of oil.

2.      Add the chungjang to the pan and cook stirring frequently for 2 minutes.

Stir constantly as the chungjang will begin to stick and burn if left alone.

• Add the oyster sauce and cook 1 minute.

• Add meat, ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, MSG and soy sauce. Cook 2 minutes longer.

• Deglaze with wine. Cook 2 minutes.

• Add ingredients from Mix-Ins 1. Bring to boil. Cover. Reduce to simmer. Simmer 20 mins.

Continue with Step 3 while sauce simmers.

3.      In a small bowl, combine thickener ingredients. Set aside.

4.      Bring a large pot of water to a boil and continue with the sauce.

• Add potatoes to the sauce. Simmer 7 minutes.

• Add Mix-Ins 3. Simmer for 10 minutes longer.

Test ingredients to ensure all of the vegetables are tender. If they are continue on, if not, simmer a few minutes longer until tender.

This is the time to cook the noodles.

• Give thickener a stir to make sure everything is well combined, stir into the simmering sauce. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

The sauce will begin to thicken immediately.

• Add sesame oil and scallions, cook 1 minute longer.

• Taste for seasoning adjusting with salt and gochagaru as needed.

5.      Add a portion of noodles to each bowl, top with sauce, cucumbers and eggs if desired.

6.      Serve immediately with danmuji, each person mixing the sauce into their bowl of noodles at the table prior to eating.