Bicol Express

Bicol Express

A fiery Bicolano classic of pork belly simmered in coconut milk with shrimp paste and plenty of chillies. Serve with steamed white rice to temper the heat.

Prep

20 min

Cook

60 min

Total

80 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 1½ oz) pork belly, cut into 1.5 cm (½ inch) cubes
• •400 ml (1¾ cups) coconut milk, full-fat, canned
• •200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) coconut cream, or thick part of a can of coconut milk
• •60 g (2 oz) siling haba (long green chillies), sliced diagonally; use 3–4 chillies
• •15 g (½ oz) bird's eye chillies, sliced; optional, for extra heat - 3–5 chillies
• •30 g (1 oz) bagoong alamang (shrimp paste), Filipino fermented shrimp paste; rinse briefly if very salty
• •40 ml (2 tbsp + 2 tsp) cooking oil, vegetable or coconut oil
• •6 cloves garlic, minced
• •1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• •20 g (¾ oz) ginger, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks (julienne)
• •1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• •1 tsp sugar, optional, to balance saltiness

Steps

1. 1 Heat the oil in a heavy pan or wok over medium heat. Add the pork belly in a single layer and fry, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on the edges, about 8–10 minutes. The pork does not need to be fully cooked yet.
2. 2 Add the garlic, onion and ginger. Sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. 3 Stir in the shrimp paste and cook for 1–2 minutes to mellow its raw smell.
4. 4 Pour in the coconut milk and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender when pierced with a knife (pork should reach an internal temperature of at least 71°C / 160°F).
5. 5 Add the sliced chillies and black pepper. Uncover and continue simmering for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce has reduced and thickened and the oil begins to separate from the coconut milk.
6. 6 Stir in the coconut cream and simmer uncovered for a further 5–10 minutes until the sauce is creamy and clings to the pork.
7. 7 Taste and adjust: add sugar if the shrimp paste is too salty, or more chilli if you want more heat.
8. 8 Serve hot with steamed white rice.