Bicol Express

 Bicol Express is pure comfort food! With pork cubes cooked in coconut milk and chili peppers, it’s rich, creamy, spicy and delicious. Serve with steamed rice for a hearty and big flavored meal!

I wanted the recipe to be as authentic as possible, and after researching online and asking all my Bicolano friends for guidance, I think the new method below comes pretty close.

One of the changes I made to my previous recipe is adding about 2 cups of sliced finger chilis along with the 14 reasonably large red Thai chili peppers (siling labuyo), and the result is definitely not one for the meek. My mouth was seriously on fire while I was eating the savory pork for lunch today!

You can decrease the number of peppers or scrape the seeds off the pods before mincing if you want to tone down the spice, but as my Bicolana friend said, it’s NOT Bicol Express if it’s not numbing your tongue. In fact, the authentic Bicol version uses more chili than pork!
If you want the same creamy flavors but with a friendlier heat, you can try this binagoongan baboy sa gata instead.
Another change is using fresh instead of sauteed shrimp paste and it does tastes so much better. Bagoong is a big flavor component in this sinilihan dish so don’t skip it.

Cooking Tips

To make slicing easier, freeze the pork belly until partially firm.

If you’re in the Aussie. and have only access to the bottled “neon pink” shrimp paste, you might want to rinse it and drain well before using in the recipe to rid of the extra saltiness and the bright color that might otherwise bleed into the dish.

Coconut milk tends to curdle or separate when brought to a boil or heated too quickly. Cook in a gentle simmer to ensure a smooth, creamy sauce.

If you’d like to add vegetables, you can use cut sigarilyas, long beans (sitaw) or string beans.

As you can see from our nutritional facts below, this recipe is not exactly waist friendly. Unfortunately, the delicious pork belly cubes and rich, creamy coconut sauce we love come with a price. If you want to trim down some of the calories, swap the belly with a leaner cut such as pork shoulder. You can also sub the pork with boneless, skinless chicken!

How to serve

Serve Bicol express as a main dish for lunch or dinner with steamed rice as the perfect canvas for its rich, spicy flavors.

How to store

Due to the coconut milk, this spicy pork stew spoils rather quickly especially outside of refrigeration. Transfer leftovers to a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

You can also freeze for up to 2 months but the sauce might separate when thawed. It will still be ok to eat but might look slightly grainy.

Reheat in saucepan over medium-low heat to 165 F or in the microwave at 2 to 3-minute intervals until completely heated through.

More ginataan recipes

Craving for more creamy dishes? Ginataang talong is amazing with steamed rice. Ginataang Seafood is my mom’s specialty and it’s special for delicious reasons!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @pinoysaraprecipe on Facebook!

Bicol Express is the ultimate comfort food! With pork cubes cooked in coconut milk and chili peppers, it's rich, creamy, spicy and delicious! Serve with steamed rice for a hearty and big flavored meal!

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
 Course: Main Entree
6 Servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 pounds pork belly, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons fresh shrimp paste
1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
1 cup water
14 pieces Thai chili peppers, stemmed and minced
2 cups finger chilies (siling haba), sliced
1 cup coconut cream
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a wide pot over medium heat, heat oil. 
Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Add pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
Add shrimp paste and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add coconut milk, water, and chili peppers. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 35 to 35 minutes or until pork is tender and liquid is reduced and begins to render fat.
Add finger chilies and cook, stirring regularly, for about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add coconut cream and continue to simmer until thickened and begins to render fat.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 1102kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 110g, Saturated Fat: 53g, Cholesterol: 168mg, Sodium: 411mg, Potassium: 592mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 45IU, Vitamin C: 15.8mg, Calcium: 52mg, Iron: 4.2mg

“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”