Ja Jang Myun Food

KOREAN BLACK BEAN SAUCE NOODLES (JAJANGMYEON)

Steps:

• Rinse the pork in cold water and pat it dry with kitchen paper. Add the pork marinade sauce onto the pork. Mix them well and leave it for 15 mins.
• Cut the onion, zucchini and potato into small cubes.
• Thin slice the mushrooms.
• Cut the cabbage into small to medium size pieces.
• Julienne cut the cucumber.
• Pre heat the wok until the bottom is heated well. Add the lard (or cooking oil) and melts it in the wok. Add the black bean paste and stir it constantly on medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. (Try not to burn it.) Add the brown sugar and stir it for an additional 2 to 3 mins.
• Scoop out the black bean paste (without the oil) and set it aside. Leave the oil in the wok to use in the next step.
• Add the pork into the wok and stir until the pork is half cooked.
• Add the onion, zucchini, and potato and stir until all are 1/3 cooked (for 3 to 5 mins).
• Add the mushrooms and cabbages and stir for 2-3 mins.
• Add the black bean paste (from step 2) into the wok and mix it in with vegetables. Stir for 1 to 2 mins.
• Add the chicken stock, water and rice wine then simmer it for 5 to 7 mins on medium heat. (Cover the wok with a lid if possible. This will make the cooking process faster.)
• Add the slurry into the wok then stir it. (This will thicken the black sauce. It is the final stage of making the black bean sauce.)
• (While working on step 7) Boil some water in a pot and add the noodles when it starts to boil. Boil them until the noodles are cooked (for 3 to 5 mins).
• Rinse the noodles in cold water and drain. Put them into a serving bowl/plate.
• Add the black bean sauce (from the step 8) on top of the noodles. You can serve it as it is or decorate it with some cucumber slices, green peas or sweet corn or hardboiled egg.
• Mix the sauce and the noodles well with chopsticks. Dig in. (It is ideal to have them with some (yellow) pickled radish. Apparently it helps digestion. Also eat it up quickly before the noodles get swollen.)

JJAJANGMYEON, KOREAN NOODLES WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE

Steps:

• In a wok or skillet heat oil over medium heat, add the bean paste and sugar and stir fry together for 3-4 minutes. The oil and the paste won't get mixed. Using slotted spoon, scoop up the paste to drain the oil and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
• Discard the rest of oil except 1 tablespoon remaining in a skillet. Add the pork and cook until no longer in pink. Add cabbage, onion, zucchini, and potato and stir fry until somewhat soft.
• Add the black bean paste back to the skillet and mix. Add oyster sauce if your desire. Pour 1 1/2cup of water and bring everything to boil, reduce the heat to simmer until everything is tender yet retain their shape, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt or soy sauce if needed.
• Mix corn starch with 3 tablespoon water and add to the skillet. The sauce will thicken within minutes. Remove from the heat
• Meanwhile bring a pot of water to boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the package direction, usually about 6-7 minutes.
• Drain the noodles and rinse once with hot water to remove excess starch.
• Place noodles in a large shallow individual serving bowl and pour the sauce over. Garnish with cucumber slices. Serve hot.

JAJANGMYEON (NOODLES IN A BLACK BEAN SAUCE)

Steps:

• Have a pot of water ready to cook the noodles. Turn the heat on when you start cooking the meat. This way you will have the boiling water ready, for cooking the noodles, by the time the sauce is done.
• Prepare the pork and vegetables by cutting them into 1/2 - 3/4 inch cubes. Marinate the pork with a tablespoon of rice wine (or mirin), ginger, salt and pepper while preparing the vegetables.
• Add the black bean paste to a small saucepan with the oil, sugar, and the optional oyster sauce. Fry it over medium heat for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Heat a large pan with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium high heat. Add the pork and stir fry until no longer pink, adding a tablespoon of soy sauce half way through.
• Add the onion and cook until soft, stirring occasionally.
• Add the cabbage and zucchini and continue to stir fry until vegetables are softened.
• Stir in the black bean paste and mix everything together until all the meat and vegetables are coated well with the paste.
• Mix everything together until all the meat and vegetables are coated well with the paste. If you like ganjjajang, you can stop here and skip the next two steps. See note.
• Pour in the stock (or water) and bring it to a boil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Stir in the starch slurry and cook briefly until the sauce is thickened. Add more sugar to taste.
• Add the noodles in the boiling water. Cook according to the package instructions and drain. Do not overcook. The noodles should have a firm bite to them (al dente). Place a serving size of noodles in each bowl. Spoon the sauce over the noodles and garnish with the optional cucumber matchsticks. Alternatively, you can serve over cooked rice.

JAJANGMYEON (VEGETARIAN KOREAN BLACK BEAN NOODLES)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add garlic, carrot, and potato. Stir and add salt and pepper. Cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add zucchini and onion; stir.
• Combine cornstarch and water together in a bowl until fully mixed.
• Add water, black bean paste, and sugar to the wok and stir. Add starch mixture to wok slowly while stirring; cook until sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook noodles in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender yet firm to the bite, about 3 minutes. Drain.
• Serve noodles in a large pasta bowl and add black bean mixture on top. Mix well.