Eric's Jjajangmyeon

Start by slicing the boneless, skinless pork belly into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Remove the skin if it's still attached.

Coarsely chop the white onion and green cabbage.

Peel and grate one small russet potato to use as a natural thickener for the sauce later.

Julienne a cucumber for the topping.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pork fat to render it down.

Add the pork belly pieces, season with salt, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and crispy.

Add the chopped onion and cabbage to the pot and cook, stirring until they soften and the bottom of the pot starts to brown.

Add 2.5 tablespoons of Chunjang (fermented black bean paste) to the pot, and stir-fry to coat the pork and vegetables.

Pour in the chicken broth.

Add maple syrup for sweetness.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

After simmering, raise the heat to high. Stir in the grated potato to thicken the gravy.

Taste the sauce and add more salt if needed.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the fresh wheat noodles for about 4 minutes, following package instructions.

Drain the noodles and immediately rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking and preserve chewiness.

Just before serving, dunk the cold noodles back into the hot noodle water to reheat them quickly.

Place a serving of the reheated noodles into a bowl.

Ladle a generous amount of the hot Jjajang gravy over the noodles.

Top the dish with julienned cucumber for a fresh crunch.

Mix everything together and enjoy your homemade Jjajangmyeon.