Jangajji Noodles with Beef

Ingredients
- For The Jangajji:
- 2x 0.5 litre lidded jars
- 120ml water
- 120ml rice wine vinegar
- 60g sugar
- 2tsp salt
- 1-2 large carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1/4 large red onion, finely sliced
- 1 red pepper, sliced into matchsticks
- 1 jalapeño, finely sliced
- 1 pack egg noodles
- 400g fillet of beef, cut into strips
- For The Sauce:
- 3tbsp of gochujang
- 2tbsp honey
- 1tbsp Chinese rice vinegar
- 2tbsp fish sauce
- 1tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- To Garnish:
- Sprinkling of sesame seeds
- Spring onion curls, finely slice and place in ice cold water
Instructions
Method
To prepare the Jangaji
- In a small saucepan combine water, rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt. Heat over a medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from the heat.
- Peel and cut the carrots, cucumber, red onion, red pepper and jalapeño.
- Place 1/2 of the vegetables into one jar and the other 1/2 of the vegetables into another jar, packing them loosely.
- Pour the liquid over the vegetables in each jar, cover and secure the lid, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
To prepare the noodles
- Boil a pot of water and add egg noodles. Cook until just al dente, usually a minute less than the package instructions.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over a high heat. Add a drizzle of cooking oil, then the beef slices, stir-frying until they start to brown but are not fully cooked.
- Add the pickled vegetables and continue stir-frying until they’re tender-crisp, ensuring they retain some crunch.
- For the sauce, whisk together the gochujang, honey, Chinese rice vinegar, fish sauce and ginger in a bowl.
- Add the cooked noodles to the wok with beef and vegetables. Then pour the sauce over the noodle mixture.
- Toss everything together ensuring the noodles, beef, and vegetables are evenly coated with the sauce.
- Stir-fry for an additional minute to allow flavours to meld.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and spring onion curls, then serve.
Chef’s Tip:
You can substitute beef for a protein of choice like prawns, chicken or tofu.