I used a combination of recipes, but Maangchi is my favorite YouTube channel for Korean cuisine.
I substituted rice noodles for the udon-style jajangmyeon noodles because it's what was in my pantry. I really like the contrast the pure white noodles had with the black sauce, though, and will probably use rice noodles going forward. I somewhat prefer the thinner rice noodles from a texture perspective as well.
Can someone who's made this tell me whether or not I should be removing the seeds from the cucumber slices? I've done it both ways and, while I can't tell a difference myself, I'm still interested in knowing the traditional method of making the dish.
If I were making it, I'd toss out the cukes altogether. They're pointless. I'd rather have cabbage and onions in the sauce
Appreciate the insight! I can see how you could argue for some crunchy cabbage over the cucumbers, especially if you're after a blend of flavors instead of a garnish from that crunchy element.
I wholly agree with onions in the sauce (there's a sneaky one peeking through the sauce right in the middle of the pic). This version had onion, daikon, and potato in the sauce alongside the diced pork. I'm looking forward to trying new vegetable combinations as I get more access to ingredients.