I still have a lot of leftovers from last week’s cook so I decided to just cook one dish today. That dish is Bicol Express. It’s basically spicy pork cooked in coconut milk & cream. The reason why this dish is famous in the Philippines is because of its yummy spicy taste. However, I need to consume this in 1-3 days as food cooked in coconut milk easily spoil.
Bicol Express reminded me of my nanny when I was very young. She came from Bicol and was an excellent cook! Bicol Express was one of her specialties.
Cooking this dish takes a little bit of time as we need to make the pork tender for it to be enjoyable to eat. I simmered the pork for about an hour before turning off the heat. It’s well-worth it though! 
Bicol Express
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 piece onion minced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp shrimp paste
- 1 kilo pork belly cut into small cubes
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 14 pieces thai chili peppers
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
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In a wok, heat oil over medium heat.
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Add garlic and onions and saute until onions are translucent.
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Add shrimp paste and cook for another 3 minutes.
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Add pork and cook until color turns light brown.
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Add coconut milk and water then bring to a boil for 10 minutes.
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Add coconut cream and thai chili peppers.
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Lower heat, cover and simmer for about one hour (or until pork is tender).
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Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Inspired by Kawaling Pinoy
If you liked this dish, you might want to try these other Filipino recipes:
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