Good food ends with good talk: Jja Jang Myun

You know that delicious looking bowl of black noodles that people in Korean Dramas eat ALL THE TIME and get delivered to them on scooters? This is it!! And it is JUST as DELICIOUS as it looks!! The Korean fiancé and I love it!!

Last Friday's dinner

Korean again? I still had 1/2 lb of pork belly left and didn't want it to go to waste. I also had half of a Korean zucchini and half of a potato left from making tuen jang chigae last week. Thus....

Jja Jang Myun

Ingredients:

1 tsp oil

1/2 lb Pork Belly (dice into 1/4 in - 1/2 in cubes depending on how chunky you like it)

2 C Onions (dice into cubes the same size as pork belly)

1 C Korean Zucchini (dice into cubes the same size as pork belly)

1 C Potato (dice into cubes the same size as pork belly)

2 tsp Minced Garlic

2 tbs oil (separated)

7 tbs black bean paste

3 C water

1 tbs sugar

1 package fresh jja jang myun noodles (find them at a Korean grocery store)

*Optional: Grated cucumbers on top and yellow pickled radish on side! (I forgot to take a picture with that. Too excited to eat!)

Thickening Ingredients:

2 tbs cornstarch

2 tbs cold water

Instructions:

1) Dice the pork, onion, Korean zucchini, and potato. Mince the garlic.

2) Add 1 tsp of oil to a wok that's been heated (medium heat). When oil is heated, add pork and sauté until it looks a little golden brown.

3) When the pork is golden brown, drain the oil/fat and set the pork aside (in wok).

4) Add 1 tbs oil to a small skillet that's been heated (medium heat). When oil is heated, add the 7 tbs of black bean paste and sauté for about 1 min.

5) Drain excess oil and set black bean paste aside.

6) Reheat pork in wok with medium heat and add the remaining 1 tbs of oil.

7) Add the potato to the wok and sauté for 2 min. Add onion and zucchini and sauté for another 2 min.

8) Add 3 C water to wok until the ingredients are covered with water (it doesn't have to be completely submerged in the water). Put the lid on the wok and boil for 15-20 min.

9) Uncover wok (check if potatoes are cooked, if potatoes are cooked, the rest of the veggies should be as well) and add the sautéed black bean paste that you set aside earlier, stir, and bring to a boil.

(You can start boiling water for the noodles now.)

10) Mix the thickening ingredients together and add it to the wok. The sauce will now get thicker and not as soupy.

11) Add the sugar and stir for a min or two.

(When the water for the noodles boil, add in the noodles and follow instructions on the package. Usually takes about 3 minutes. One bundle of noodles will serve about 2 people.)

12) Drain the noodles when done and put it in a bowl, then put a couple scoops of the jja jang sauce on the noodles and serve! :D