• Toss the pork with the mirin, as well as salt and pepper to taste. Marinate for a few minutes. Heat a large pan with a little oil. Brown the pork in the pan, then transfer to a plate. Add a little more oil to the pan if needed, along with all the vegetables. Cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil.
• Stir the black bean paste, oyster sauce, and sugar together in a small bowl. Add to the vegetables in the pan and coat well with the paste. Pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the dissolved starch to the pan and cook briefly until the sauce is thickened. Add back the pork. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings to your liking ie: add more sugar, a splash of water, etc.
• Add the noodles to the boiling water. Cook according to the package instructions, or whenever they float to the top (if using fresh noodles), and drain. Do not overcook. The noodles should have a bit of a bite to them. Place some noodles in each bowl. Spoon the sauce over the noodles and garnish with the cucumber matchsticks. Mix and eat!
  

TIP: If your noodles get a little clumpy before plating them in the bowl, spray them with a little water to loosen them up. If you're worried about getting the timing right, aim to get your sauce done before your noodles because the noodles tend to get sticky if they’re cooked too far in advance.

Eat these noodles with a side of sweet, tart, and crunchy yellow pickled radish you can get at the Korean grocery store. It's called either Danmuji or Dakgwang, and it's so complimentary to Jjajangmyeon!

Any leftover sauce is great over rice the next day. Add a fried egg on top!