Job Chae is one of my favorites. Growing up I remember how delicious these noodles were and a few months ago my mom cooked it up for me. I had Job Chae for lunch for about three days! Anyway Maangchi has a recipe that is exactly like my moms and is so good. I did some things differently which I think is the beauty of this dish, you can add or take away items you may not like. For someone that has not had this dish before I would say it is similar to chow mein, if you like noodles or stir frys you will like Job Chae. Keep in mind that cooking the veggies al dente and in waves keeps the flavors of the veggies from melding together and results in a crisp fresh taste to this noodle dish.
Job Chae
adapted from Maangchi’s recipes found here
Starch noodles (“dangmyun”) also known as glass noodles
1 cup of sliced beef, I just used some left over form another recipe.
1 bunch of spinach
1 medium size carrot
1 medium size onion
2 1/2 cups of mushrooms (5 dried shiitake and 1 package of white mushrooms) I just used fresh shiitakes instead.
3 cloves of garlic
7-8 green onions
soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, pepper, and sesame seeds
Makes 4 servings.
How to prepare your ingredients before stir frying:
Soak 5 dried shitake mushrooms in warm water for a few hours until they become soft. Squeeze the water out of them and slice thinly.
Slice a package of white mushrooms (2 cups’ worth).
Cut a carrot into thin matchstick-shaped pieces 5 cm long.
Cut 7 -8 green onions into 7 cm long pieces.
Slice one onion thinly.
Slice 1 cup of beef into thin strips.
Boil 2 bunches of noodles in boiling water in a big pot for about 3 minutes. When the noodles are soft, drain them and put in a large bowl.
Cut the noodles several times by using scissors, I just grab a handful and snip! Then add 1 tbs of soy sauce and 1 tbs of sesame oil. Mix it up and set aside so the noodles won’t stick.
In the boiling water, add a bunch of spinach and stir it gently for 1 minute. Then take it out and rinse it in cold water 3 times. Remove any grit or dead leaves thoroughly while rinsing. Squeeze it gently to get the water out, then cut it into 5 cm pieces. I did not have spinach in my dish, I forgot this time but I am going to add it next time!*tip: When you drain the hot water from the pot, don’t discard the hot water. Put it back into the pot so you can cook your spinach quickly.
Add ½ tbs soy sauce and ½ tbs sesame oil and mix it and place it onto the large bowl.
On a heated pan, put a few drops of olive oil and your carrot strips and stir it with a spatula for 30 seconds. Put it into the large bowl (don’t burn it!).
Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your sliced onion. Stir it until the onion looks translucent. Put it into the large bowl with your carrots.
Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add the sliced white mushrooms. Stir it for a bit and then put it in the large bowl.
Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your green onions. Stir for 1 minute and put it into the large bowl.
Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your beef strips and your sliced shitake mushrooms. Stir it until it’s cooked well, then add 3 cloves of minced garlic, ½ tbs soy sauce and ½ tbs sugar. Stir for another 30 seconds and then put it into the large bowl.
Add 2 tbs of soy sauce, 3 tbs of sugar, 2 tbs of sesame oil, and 1 tsp of ground pepper to the large bowl. Mix all ingredients, then sprinkle 1 tbs of toasted sesame seeds on the top.
Serve with rice and Kimchi, or as a side dish.
My husband loves this dish, he puts tons of hot sauce on it and eats it with tons of kimchi. He requested more meat in it so next time I will add more. I also see using this dish with tofu instead, just stir fry your cubes of tofu instead of the beef. I love the crunch of the vegetables in this dish, the onions, both green and white are delicious!! If you cannot find these noodles you can substitute it for any spaghetti like noodle, but to me the glass noodles make this dish!
