1. Looks like #CookingForLieutenants again, & forgive me for the lack of photos, since I got 짜장면 (jjajangmyun) as takeout, though I have cooked it more or less from scratch before.
2. First, though, context. Jjajangmyun was introduced to Korea by a Chinese restauranteur in Inchon before the Japanese annexation in 1910. It was considered a luxury item until after the Korean War, when it was sold cheaply all over South Korea & quickly became comfort food.
3. If you’re lucky enough to be in Korea & order this delivered, most places will also drop off bowls & utensils. Just leave the tray with all your dirty stuff outside your door, & the restaurant will pick that up later.
4. Compared to plastic & styrofoam containers here in the US, when I visited my grandparents in Seoul as a child, I thought that jjajangmyun in Korea was the height of decadence. It still has a warm place in my heart.
4a. I mean, look at 1 year old Junior going to town, & you wonder how there’s any way this *couldn’t* still be his favorite food. Most Koreans have similar warm childhood memories. It was just as well that this onesie was part brown, it hid stains better.
5. I’m lucky to live in one of the 2 capitals of the Korean American diaspora, though I did once have mind blowing jjajangmyun in the other capital, LA. I say this because it makes ingredients easier to find, though H-Mart, Korea’s answer to Walmart, does deliver.
6. Anyway, here goes, finally. Ingredients. You can’t have good jjajangmyun without proper jjajang, or black bean paste. I got this at H-Mart. You’ll also need:
2 diced white onions
1/2 lb ground red meat, though 1 cm diced pork is traditional
2-3 zucchini, diced to about 1 cm
6a. Remember to cut away the seeded center of the zucchini & discard it, only use the flesh & skin. The center will become bitter as you cook it.
6b. I’ve seen julienned carrots & cucumber also included in the sauce, though I usually won’t add that until the end, as a garnish.
6c. A note on noodles. By tradition they’re hand pulled, made from buckwheat or wheat flour, but honestly, any long noodle will do. I’ve even used ramen noodles in a pinch, but these (also from H-Mart) or any wide udon noodles do nicely.
7. If I’m using pork, I’ll usually soak it in 1/4 cup mirin for an hour before cooking. Brown the pork in veg oil, then add the onions, zucchini, & a splash of soy. Diced raw potatoes are optional. You can substitute oyster sauce for soy.
8. Add 6 tbsp of black bean paste & mix well over medium heat. Continue cooking & mixing until the onions begin to soften. Add 1 cup of veg or chicken stock (as I keep stressing, why bother making stock when Kirkland sells good stock in cardboard boxes?). Mix well.
9. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat & simmer for 5-6 minutes. Add sugar to taste. Now add a slurry of 1 teaspoon of corn or potato starch mixed with 2 oz of water, & mix into the sauce to thicken it. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Your sauce is ready.
10. Spoon sauce over cooked noodles, & garnish with julienned cucumber and/or carrot. Your end result should look something like this.
11. Is it messy? No more than any long pasta served with a red sauce. But infinitely tastier. Serve with a heaping bowl of kimchi. Also some diced raw onion to dip into a small ramekin of jajang straight from the jar.
12. The best accompanying beverage - for me, at least - has always been an OB or Hite, Korean versions of Budweiser or Heineken, respectively. Enjoy.
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