Jjolmyeon is a very popular spicy Korean, cold noodles.
“Jjol” refers to the word chewy in Korean (pronounced Jjolgi-Jjolgi). And “myeon” means noodles.
The noodles are made using a mix of wheat flour and starch – the dough is heated to 130-150°C and extruded by a machine under very high pressure (similar to how “tteok” is made).
Jjolmyeon is served in Korea for $5 at Bunsikjibs (snacking shops) – served with toppings of shredded cabbage, soybean sprouts and a hardboiled egg.
I’ve always felt that it wasn’t enough…
Today, I’m making my “I-wish-it-had-this” version.
The key topping is crispy Dapae Samgyupsal (thinly sliced, fresh pork belly).
Eating the cold, spicy noodles with savory, hot pork-belly is just perfect!
Bookmark this recipe and the next time you’re shopping at a Korean market, pick up some Jjolmyeon Noodles.
Now, let me share a few shopping tips at the Korean market.
Shopping Tips:
Jjolmyeon will be located in the refrigerator section.
However, there are also Jjolmyeon brands that are sold frozen.
The boiling time for refrigerator version should be ~3 minutes
The boiling time for frozen version should be ~7 minutes
(But double check on the back of the packaging)
Note: Jjolmyeon Noodles are usually sold in a package – that includes the spicy sauce.
(But if you want to know how to make the marinade from scratch, we have a recipe here.)
Next, you want to ask the staff for Daepae Samgyupsal.
This differs from regular Samgyeopsal (Sliced Pork Belly) because it’s sliced very thinly.
How thin? Slightly thicker than Shabu-Shabu cuts.
Now, Daepae Samgyupsal will be sold frozen – but you do NOT need to thaw it before cooking it.
I repeat – you don’t need to thaw it. Just add straight into the frying pan.
Alrighty, I hope ya’ll enjoy this recipe.
If you want to pair the noodles with a side-dish, I recommend Mandu (Korean dumplings).
Lately, I have been in love with a particular type of Mandu called “Napjak Mandu” – these dumplings are flat and half-moon shaped, with very minimal filling.
You eat it mostly for the texture of the chewy dumpling skin.
Pair the two – and it will be a very satisfying meal!
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Ingredients
- 1 package Jjolmyeon Noodles
- 1 packet Spicy Jjolmyeon Marinade
Jjolmyeon Toppings
- Small handful Soybean Sprouts
- Small piece of Green Cabbage
- 1 Egg
Stir-Fried Pork Belly Slices
- 150-200 grams of Daepae Samgyupsal (Thin Cuts of Pork Belly)
- ½ teaspoon(!) Soy Sauce
- Few pinches of Salt
- ½ teaspoon(!) Fresh Ginger
- Few cracks of Black Pepper
Noodle Garnish
- Small handful of Green Onion Slices
- Few cracks of Black Pepper
- Tiny drizzle Sesame Oil
Instructions
Prep Toppings
- Make a Soft-Boiled Egg. Bring a pot of water up to boil. Once the water is boiling, place the egg in. Set time for 8 minutes. Afterwards, drain the pot and cool the egg down in cold water.
- Peel and half the egg. Season each half with a pinch of salt & black pepper.
- Fill another pot with water. Add-in a few pinches of salt to season the water. Then bring it up to boil. Once boiling, add in a handful of Soybean Sprouts. Place a lid onto the pot (important!). Then reduce heat to a medium-low. Set a timer and let it boil for 3 minutes.
- After 3 minutes, turn off the heat. Use a pair of chopsticks (or other kitchen utensil) and pick out the soybean sprouts from the boiling water. Now, don't drain the hot water - as we can use it to boil the noodles soon. Simply set the pot aside.
- Immediately cool down the blanched soybeans sprouts in cold water. Drain and shake off any excess water - then set aside.
- Cut a stalk of green onion into thin slices - for use as garnish in the final step.
- Then use a mandolin (or knife) and finely cut a small section of cabbage into thin slices.
Stir-Fry Daepae Samgyupsal
- Place-in a drizzle of cooking oil into a frying pan. Place on medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add in the frozen Daepae Samgyupsal (thinly sliced pork belly).
- Stir-fry them around until the pieces start to melt and cook. At this time, you'll see alot of oil build-up in the pan. Use a paper towel to soak up the excess oil and toss it out.
- After removing the excess oil, let's season the meat: Add in Soy Sauce (½ teaspoon!), Salt (few pinches), Fresh Ginger (½ teaspoon!) and Black Pepper (few cracks).
- Stir-fry until the edges of the pork pieces turn brown and slightly crispy. Then turn off the heat. It's time now to cook the noodles and bring everything together!
Cook Jjolmyeon Nooodles
- Place the pot with the hot water... back on high heat. It should come back to boil quickly. Once it does, add in the Jjolmyeon Noodles.
- If the noodles were frozen, set timer for 7 minutes. If it was refrigerated, set timer for 3 minutes.
- When the timer rings, drain the pot and cool down the noodles in cold water (reference video). Shake off any residual water by tossing it in the strainer.
- Place the cooked noodles into a mixing bowl. Add-in the ready-made marinade packet. Carefully mix the noodles into the spicy marinade until its evenly coated.
- Add the Jjolmyeon noodles into a bowl. Then add-on a small handful of shredded cabbage and blanched soybean sprouts.
- Next, add-on the crispy, thin pork belly pieces on top.
- Finally, garnish with diced green onion pieces, a tiny drizzle of sesame oil and a crack of black pepper!
- Add the soft-boiled egg to the side of the bowl too!
- When you're ready to eat... I like to scoot the pork pieces to one side of the bowl. Then carefully mix the cabbage & beansprouts into the spicy noodles. Then grab a few of the pork piece onto each chopstick-full of spicy noodles 😉
- Bon Appetit - serve with a side of dumplings for maximum satisfaction!
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