The family that I work for is Korean, so occasionally I'm introduced to some really fun snacks and/or meals that I otherwise would have been missing out on big time! A few weeks ago, the dad was home for the day and the girls and I went out to try to find some mud (they hate getting messy, so I'm trying to help normalize it a bit!) but we came home and the house smelled so savory and delicious. Now, I have a terrible poker face and absolutely love to eat, so I'm not sure if they had planned on having an extra body at the dinner table or if he was just trying to appease my curiosity, unimportant in the long run, but... yeah. SO, we sit down to this scrumptious meal. There are potatoes and onions and some other root vegetable that is just so interesting to me, I ask and learn that it's a Korean radish: a daikon. The veggies are swimming in this dark brown gravy of sorts - it's mild, but a little salty and very savory; super comforting. All of this is covering a healthy portion of udon or Korean noodles (I'm not sure which it was and each time I've attempted it, they've had different names, but looked very similar!) Naturally, after trying this meal and not being able to stop thinking about it, I had to try to make it for myself!
I drove down to Southeast Portland to explore H Mart, the Korean grocery store on Belmont. It was overwhelming, to say the least, but very much reminded me of my time living abroad where everything was overwhelming and exhausting but so stinking exciting. I couldn't read most of the labels, but almost everything had a fine print in English. I first found the Korean radish, it looked nothing like I expected! Then I scoured each aisle and collected all the interesting things and a couple of things that were familiar from the home I work in (like some really yummy banana puffs!) I was really bummed to discover that the main ingredient, a fermented black soybean paste, was only available in the super large size... I tried to find an alternative, but also didn't want to make the trip again before attempting to make the dish! I caved and bought a jar that was over two pounds of fermented black bean paste... this largely influenced the first recipe I tried to make... not the best approach. I left the market with my trunk loaded full of goodies. I was pumped to go home and make this scrumptious dish.
I had a problem though... I have this weird, innate issue with following recipes (and directions in general) I like to do things my way. I already had bacon that needed used up, so I substituted that for the pork belly.
Remember how I bought the mongo sized fermented black bean paste? Well, that stuff's really salty. I picked a recipe that called for a LOT of the bean paste because a kilo of black bean paste feels like a LOT to a singleton like me. The recipe I was using called for more than twice the recipe I later discovered is what I was first served. My first attempt was edible, but not amazing. My roommate was gracious and tried it and said she would even eat it again, but I knew better... I had to try another recipe.
I asked the family I work for what recipe they used and told them of my failure. They shared their resources and I tried again!
I made this batch for a friend while her hubby was out of town for an extended gearhead adventure. We enjoyed it so much, she let me leave some of the black bean paste and an extra Korean radish with her to try to make it too!
