Jajangmyeon

Jajangmyeon is a Korean-Chinese fusion meal composed with thick handmade wheat noodles, fresh cucumber slices, and a salty black soybean paste, chopped pork, and veggies. This substantial noodle dish, which starts at 5,000 won, is ideal for times you need a fast dinner that won't break the bank. It is also commonly consumed by singles on Black Day, which occurs every year on April 14th. Those who do not get presents on Valentine's Day dress in black and congregate to eat black foods like as jajangmyeon.

Ingredients

• MAIN
• 1kg (35 ounces), fresh jajangmyeon noodles (Or you can use fresh udon or ramen noodles)
• 1 large onion (150g / 5.3 ounces)
• 1 medium zucchini (110g / 3.9 ounces)
• 2 large potatoes (470g / 1 pound)
• 7 large button mushrooms (240g / 0.5 pounds)
• 1/4 small cabbage (160g / 5.6 ounces)
• 600g / 1.3 pounds diced pork
• PORK MARINADE SAUCE
• 1 Tbsp rice wine (mirin)
• 5 sprinkles ground salt
• 5 sprinkles ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• KOREAN BLACK BEAN SAUCE
• 6 Tbsp Korean black bean paste (Chunjang, 춘장)
• 90g / 3.2 ounces lard (or 6 Tbsp cooking oil – e.g. rice bran oil)
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp rice wine (or mirin)
• 1 cup chicken stock (as natural as possible)
• 1 cup water
• Slurry (potato starch 5 Tbsp + water 4 Tbsp)
• TOPPINGS
• 1 large cucumber (150g / 5.3 ounces)
• Peas or sweet corn (from a tin, alternative)
• Hard boiled egg (alternative)

Instructions

• 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.