Jja Jang Myeon
September 7, 2021
Korean Main Dishes Noodles Recipes
Jja Jang Myeon or Korean black bean noodles is an umami bomb of flavor! I love making mine with pork belly – as the fat renders out, it adds another depth of flavor to my noodles. The fresh wheat noodles are super bouncy and chewy, and pairs perfectly with the sauce. Top the dish off with sliced cucumber for a refreshing contrast!
INGREDIENTS TIPS
PROTEIN
This dish is traditionally made with cubed pork belly but you can substitute with another protein of your choice (chicken, beef, or even seafood). If you want to make it vegetarian, you can use mushrooms or firm tofu.
VEGETABLES
I used zucchini, daikon radish, and potatoes – I like this combination because while similar, they’re different in softness and texture. The flavors of all three are mild enough to pair nicely with the sauce, which is on the saltier side. You can sub in with other vegetables if you prefer.
BLACK BEAN PASTE
Korean black bean paste (also called ‘chunjang’) is a salty, slightly bitter paste made from fermented soy beans. It is NOT made from black beans – rather, the name is referencing the color (black) and the main ingredient (soybeans). It is a key ingredient to this dish and there is no substitute 🙁 I get mine from my local H Mart (Korean grocery chain) but I’ve also seen it sold on Amazon.
NOODLES
I like to use fresh wheat noodles from the Korean grocery store – they’re easy to identify because they’re labeled for jja jang myeon and oftentimes have a photo of the dish on the packaging! If you are unable to find fresh wheat noodles, you can substitute with another long noodle of your choice, such as spaghetti or linguine.
RECIPE TIPS
CORNSTARCH SLURRY
A cornstarch slurry is a mixture of cornstarch and water that is used in cooking to thicken WITHOUT powdery lumps or additional flavors/colors! This is the secret to so many of your favorite Chinese dishes. My #1 tip is make sure your cornstarch slurry has not separated before adding it in – I always try to re-stir right before!
NOODLES
Once you have cooked your noodles according to the package directions, immediately rinse them under cold water – this will stop the cooking process so your noodles remain perfectly al dente. Drain the water well and pour the sauce on top immediately to enjoy!
PICKLED RADISH
This dish is traditionally enjoyed with yellow pickled radish! You can find these in the refrigerated section of your Asian grocery store. They’re usually cut into thin slices or half moons. If you haven’t had these before, definitely give them a try!
Jja Jang Myeon
Ingredients
- 8 oz pork belly cut into 1" pieces
- 1 cup daikon radish cut into 1/2" chunks
- 1 cup zucchini cut into 1/2" chunks
- 1 potato medium; cut into 1/2" chunks
- 1/2 white onion cut into 1/2" chunks
- 1/3 cup black bean paste
- 1.5 cups water
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- salt & pepper to taste
- wheat noodles I used fresh Korean wheat noodles
Instructions
- Cut daikon radish, zucchini, potato, and onion into 1/2" chunks.
- Cut pork belly into 1" pieces.
- Brown pork belly pieces over medium high heat in 1 tbsp of neutral oil for 2-3 minutes to render out some fat.
- Add vegetable chunks into pan of pork belly pieces and sauté until softened (3-4 minutes).
- In your pan, create a small well in the center of your pork and vegetable chunks. Add black bean paste and fry for 2 minutes before mixing well with the pork and vegetable chunks.
- Add water. Cover and simmer on medium low heat for 8-10 minutes (or until vegetables are tender).
- In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch, sugar, and water into a slurry.
- Add slurry into sauce and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook noodles according to packaging instructions, until al dente. Immediately rinse under cold water and drain – this will keep the noodles chewy and bouncy.
- Pour sauce over noodles, mix, and enjoy!
I made this tonight, and overall it was very easy. I feel like the recipe could have used a little clarification on which amounts of water to use for the sauce and which was for the slurry, though I did assume and assumed right. Overall my husband and I both liked it, but we felt like it needed something. Next time I’ll try getting the pickled radish with it, but my husband wants some heat. I’m not sure if there are spicy black bean sauces traditionally but it sounds good.
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