Filipino Bicol Express Rice Bowl

About This Recipe

Bicol Express is a fiery pork stew named after the express train connecting Manila to the Bicol region, where dishes are built on coconut milk and generous amounts of chile. Pork belly or shoulder simmers slowly in coconut milk with shrimp paste (bagoong) and sliced red finger chiles until the sauce reduces to a thick, glossy, deeply spicy coating. The defining move is letting the coconut milk cook long enough to split slightly and release its oil, which is when the dish develops real depth instead of tasting like a thin curry. Bagoong alamang (shrimp paste) is what separates real Bicol Express from a generic coconut curry; it adds a salty, funky backbone that chile alone can't replicate, though fish sauce is a workable substitute in a pinch. Served over steamed rice, the dish is meant to be sweat-inducing and rich, balanced by the rice's plainness, and it's a staple at Filipino turo-turo (point-and-eat) counters throughout Metro Manila.

Ingredients

Serves 5

• 700 gpork belly or shoulder(sliced into strips)
• 2 cupscoconut milk
• 1 cupcoconut cream
• 2 tbspshrimp paste (bagoong alamang)
• 6red finger chiles(sliced, adjust to taste)
• 3long green chiles(sliced)
• 1onion(sliced)
• 6 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 thumbginger(sliced)
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 4 cupssteamed rice(for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Sear the pork

   Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sear pork strips until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

2. 2

   Build the aromatics

   In the same pot, saute onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp paste and cook 1 minute to remove rawness.

3. 3

   Simmer in coconut milk

   Return pork to the pot, add coconut milk, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pork is tender.

4. 4

   Reduce and enrich

   Add coconut cream and chiles, then simmer uncovered 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens and the oil starts to separate slightly at the edges.

5. 5

   Serve

   Taste and adjust with more shrimp paste or chile if needed. Serve hot over steamed rice, spooning extra sauce over the top.

Variations

• •

  Swap pork for shrimp or a mix of pork and shrimp for a coastal Bicol variation.

• •

  Vegetarian version: use fried tofu and mushrooms, and season with soy sauce plus a touch of white miso instead of shrimp paste.

• •

  Add sliced string beans (sitaw) or eggplant for a vegetable-forward version common in home cooking.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; the flavor deepens overnight. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of coconut milk if the sauce has thickened too much.

Frequently Asked Questions