How To Cook Bicol Express

Bicol Express is a popular dish from Bicol Region of the Philippines. According to some Bicolanos, the original Bicol Express has less coconut or none at all and has more "siling labuyo" or hot chili. It is said that you have to run as fast as its namesake train for a glass of water after having a bite of the dish.

Bicol Region is known for its dishes cooked in coconut milk and highlighted by hot chili peppers or siling labuyo in our term. I have learned cooking bicol express through recipe books and as I have observed, there's a lot of version in cooking bicol express. Here's one of its version on how to cook bicol express.


Ingredients:

1/2 kg pork thinly sliced
2 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon Chopped garlic
1 head chopped onions
2 cups seeded and sliced hot chili pepper(siling Labuyo)
2-3 teaspoon of Bagoong alamang
1 cup of thick Coconut milk
2 cups thin coconut milk
2 cups Fresh long green chillies sliced lengthwise
salt to taste

Cooking Procedure:

1. Saute garlic in hot oil. Add onions and cook until translucent.
2. Add in the sliced pork. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add bagoong alamang and chopped hot chilli(siling labuyo). Stir until the pork is completely covered by the mixture.
4. Pour in thin coconut milk and simmer for another 5 minutes.
4. Add the thick coconut milk and the sliced hot long green chili and bring to a boil.
5. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes or until half of the liquid has evaporated.
6. Add salt if necessary.

Note: You can decrease or increase the amount of siling labuyo according to your taste.