The Quest to Make the Perfect Jjajang Myeon (Noodles with Black Bean Sauce): Attempt #2

I have a confession to make. I am currently obsessed--completely, utterly, totally consumed with jjagang myeon, that salty, chewy, unctuous Korean dish of noodles with black bean sauce. It's oily, it's sodium laden, and oh boy is it good. Basically, I want to eat it all the time. And, right now, I'm on the quest to create the perfect recipe. It's hard.

The first time I made it, it was just ok. I wasn't a fan of the potato in it... believe it or not, I don't really like the concept of starch on starch. Plus, I felt like the sauce was missing something. After a lot of thought, I figured it out. It needed oyster sauce to give it that Chinese flair. (Jjajang myeon is, after all, a Korean take on a Chinese dish.) So, with that in mind, I started to think about how I would try again.

A few nights ago, I made a pretty good one, but I definitely still have a few kinks to work out. For starters, I need to find a better brand of jjajang. The jar I have is simply too salty. Second, I need to figure out how much sugar is just right... striking that balance between overly salted and overly sweet is difficult. Third, I think chicken broth might make it a little richer tasting, so next time I will use that instead of water.

But, I do think this was quite a good progression!

Ingredients:

12 - 14 ounces fresh jajangmyeon noodles. Or, sub dried linguine in a pinch.

5 tablespoons jjajang
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
7 thin slices peeled ginger (remove before serving!)

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup pork belly, small diced

2 onions, diced
1 cup water

1 tablespoon corn starch dissolved in 1/4 cup water

Mix together the jjajang, canola oil, sugar, oyster sauce, mirin, and ginger and set aside.

Brown the pork belly in a wok over medium high heat. Add onions and sautee for a minute. Pour in sauce and water and cook until the veggies are soft. Add in cornstarch mixture and allow to thicken.

Meanwhile cook noodles for 4 minutes in boiling water. Drain and rinse.

Serve noodles garnished with cucumbers, with sauce in a separate bowl, along with pickled daikon, raw onions, and kimchi.