“This spicy and creamy Bicol express recipe is made with pork belly, shrimp paste, coconut milk, coconut cream, and of course, lots of chilies! Perfect with steamed rice, this spicy dish is good any time of the day.”

I love spicy and creamy food, and this Bicol express recipe is giving me all that in one bite. Don’t forget to serve it with steamed rice for a full and flavorful meal.

The Bicol express is the epitome of comfort food! It’s rich, creamy, spicy, and wonderful, with pork cubes cooked in coconut milk and chilies.

Bicol Express, with its well-balanced spiciness and sweetness, makes it ideal for the cooler months. Even though it is ideal for a chilly day, the majority of Filipinos prefer serving it at any time of year. Perhaps it’s because it has a high protein content, making it a highly filling and fulfilling dish.

If you wish to tone down the spiciness of this Bicol express recipe, reduce the number of peppers or scrape the seeds off the pods before chopping. However, as many Bicolano’s put it, it’s not Bicol Express until it numbs your tongue. In fact, more chilies is used in the real Bicol version than pork!

And rightly so, as it contains all of the well-intentioned elements of traditional savory Philippine food. Not only does it have a lot of meat in the form of delicious, juicy pork belly, but it’s also seasoned with a local favorite, shrimp paste or bagoong, which adds a unique flavor to the dish.

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WHAT IS BICOL EXPRESS

Bicol express is a spicy and creamy pork stew cooked in coconut milk. It has the delicate sweetness of coconut milk that complements the biting spice of chili peppers and bagoong. This contrast has long given the meal a spellbinding richness in flavor. As a result, it has become one of the most popular Filipino recipes.

This flavorful stew can be served as the main entrée with steamed rice and is perfect at any meal time.

The Bicol express is universally assumed to have originated in Bicol. This is not difficult to believe, given that Bicolanos have comparable recipes and are known for their love of spicy food. The dish remarkably similar to Bicol Express originated in their hometown. Gulay na Lada (chili-flavored vegetable), also known as Ginataang Sili (or sinilihan), contains balao, a shrimp paste variety. It also contains pork and coconut milk, among other comparable components.

However, some claim that Cely Kalaw, a Filipino food legend, created Bicol Express in her Malate, Manila restaurant. And that it was only inspired by Bicolano cuisine because Cely is originally from Laguna, not Bicol.

Bicol express is named after the legendary nightly train that went from Manila to Bicol, a province noted for their love of spicy food and cuisine.

Bicol has long been regarded as one of the Philippines’ most popular tourist destinations. It is noted for its active volcano, Mt. Mayon, which is known for its flawless cone and is one of the most beautiful in the world.

When I think about Bicol, another meal that comes to mind is laing. It’s similar to Bicol Express, however instead of pork, dried Taro leaves are the major ingredient. Similarly, it is spicy and cooked with coconut milk. Normally, dried fish is used to increase saltiness.

BICOL EXPRESS RECIPE INGREDIENTS

There are only a few ingredients when making Bicol express:

Pork. Depending on how fatty you prefer your pork, you can use pig belly, pork shoulder, or pork roast in this dish. Pork roast has the least fat, followed by pork shoulder, and finally pork belly, which has the most fat.

Ginger. Aside from adding spice, using ginger removes the bad odor and taste of the pork.

Garlic & onion. The usual partner in making ginisa.

Fresh Shrimp Paste (Bagoong alamang).  In the Philippines, this is a popular condiment. It’s highly salty and gives the dish a lot of flavors. Before adding this to your boiling pot, give it a tasting test. If it’s too salty for you, you can rinse it with water to lower the salt content. Because fresh shrimp paste isn’t always easily accessible, sautéed shrimp paste (guisado), soy sauce, or fish sauce can be substituted.  Pork binagoongan is another shrimp paste-based recipe I’ve posted in this blog.

Thai Chilies and Long chilies (siling haba). Provides a kick to the dish. I used Thai Chilies because they are the most readily accessible. You can use siling labuyo, a popular chili in the Philippines. Adjust the spiciness according to your preferences by adding more or fewer chilies. You can de-seed the chilies before adding them to the meal if you want it extra mild.

Coconut milk & cream. The coconut milk and cream balances out the heat of this dish. This meal is made with coconut milk (gata) and coconut cream (kakang gata), both of which are available in cans. However, if you have the time, you can prepare your own coconut milk and coconut cream to customize the richness of the Bicol express.

HOW TO MAKE BICOL EXPRESS

Making this Bicol express recipe is pretty simple.

In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat.

Sauté the ginger, garlic and onion until aromatic.

Add the shrimp paste and sauté for a few seconds.

Combine the meat and cook until the pork is lightly browned. Season with ground black pepper.

Add the coconut milk, water, and chilies and bring to a boil.

Simmer on low heat and cook around for 20-25 minutes until sauce is reduced.

Pour the coconut cream and simmer until the pork is tender and the sauce is thickened.

Taste and season with salt.

Transfer to a serving plate and serve with steaming rice.

COOKING TIPS

• Freeze the pork belly until it is somewhat stiff to make slicing easier.
• Slice pork into small cubes to make the cooking faster.
• Use fresh shrimp paste if possible instead of cooked shrimp paste, it tastes so much better. Don’t skip the bagoong because it adds a lot of flavor to this Bicol express recipe.
• If you only have access to the bottled “neon pink” shrimp paste, you should rinse and drain it thoroughly before using it in the recipe to remove the excess salinity and bright color that might otherwise leak into the meal.
• To create a smooth and creamy sauce, cook the coconut milk on low heat to prevent from curdling.
• If you want to add veggies, you can use winged beans (sigarilyas), or string beans (sitaw).
• If you wish to minimize calories, replace the pork belly with a leaner cut like pork shoulder. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken instead of pork!
• If you wish to tone down the spiciness of this Bicol express recipe, reduce the number of peppers or scrape the seeds off the pods before chopping.

HOW TO SERVE

Serve Bicol express as a main course for lunch or dinner with steamed rice to complement the rich, spicy tastes.

It is also a superb pulutan, a Filipino name for foods that go well with alcohol.

HOW TO STORE

This Bicol express spoils quickly due to the coconut milk, especially if not refrigerated.

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container.

Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave for 2-3 minutes with 30 seconds intervals until well heated.

If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and tell me how you liked it in the comments section below; I love hearing from you! Happy tummy!

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