Bicol Express Recipe: Pinoy Spicy Dish
When you think of completing a Bicol Express recipe, what’s the first image that comes into mind?
Most likely, you think of a creamy pork dish from the Southern Philippines with lots of spicy local chili or siling labuyo. Well, congrats because you’re not far off from that description!
Bicol Express refers to a simple yet delicious dish made of our two favorite ingredients: pork and gata or coconut cream.
Cooks make it even more delightful by adding that extra oomph from chili. If you love this combination, we present this creamy and spicy recipe that takes you beyond your wildest food dreams.
This post features an easy Bicol Express recipe you can use for any occasion.
Health Benefits of Bicol Express
Before we dive into the amazing Bicol Express recipe we have in store for you, let’s take a look at its health benefits.
The nutritional value of Bicol Express involves several health benefits and a few negative effects on the body. The dish has a couple of negative impacts, including its high level of saturated fats and cholesterol.
Despite these, Bicol Express boasts a lot of health benefits.
For one, the siling labuyo or chili used in the dish has rich vitamin C, iron, and magnesium levels. In Filipino households, siling labuyo or chili has been used as a traditional home remedy for treating tooth pains.
In addition, Bicol Express serves as a rich source of protein that has plenty of health benefits for the muscles. A serving of the dish contains around 308 calories per 246 grams of protein. It approximately composes fifty percent of the calories coming from the meat.
Moreover, pork is a fantastic source of not just protein. It also contains niacin, phosphorus, and vitamin B6. In fact, three ounces of pork contains more nutrients, including zinc and potassium.
However, it’s not just the meat that has health benefits. The main texture component, coconut milk, fights stomach ulcers and lowers inflammation. It also features carbs, protein, and healthy fat to boost your energy.
History of Bicol Express
Contrary to popular belief, Bicol Express didn’t come from Bicol. It’s not a product of the famous Penafrancia Festival either.
Surprisingly, the white dish actually came from Manila, not Bicol. While most residents from the Bicol area argue that it came from the province, most, if not all, big names in the Filipino cooking industry disagree.
Historical, reliable sources say that Bicol Express originated from Cely Kalaw’s restaurant in the country’s capital.
In the 1960s, Kalaw decided to create a creamy dish with a spicy twist. After some challenges in naming the dish, she heard the sound of the daily train going to Bicol. She got the idea from the train, naming the dish Bicol Express.
Apparently, this recipe is supposed to be a less flavorful or spicy rendition of Laing. Made of dried taro leaves, Laing is similar to Bicol Express because it uses rich coconut milk.
To Kalaw’s surprise, Bicol Express quickly became famous. Eventually, the dish began popping up in several restaurants and cafes in the country. But what most people didn’t know was that the dish did not come from Bicol. Hence, the misconception spread.
Bicol Express Variations
Bicol Express can be cooked in several ways. The pork can be replaced with fish (tilapia), shrimp, shark, crab, manta rays, and other seafood to change the taste and texture. All of these variations are served with a steaming bowl of rice.
Ginataang Tilapia or Ginataang Isda is one of the most popular Bicol Express varieties. Cooks boil the fish with coconut milk or katang gata and vinegar. Then, the cooks add in siling labuyo, onion, and garlic.
The said dish is different from the usual Bicol Express because it contains vinegar for a more sour flavor.
Another variety is Kinunot na Pating or Kinunot for short. Instead of pork chunks, cooks use pieces of shark bits or manta ray meat. This changes the texture of the dish. It also gives the dish a more extraordinary vibe
How to Make Bicol Express
Are you ready to make the creamiest pork dish with a bit of a kick? Here’s how to make Bicol Express:
- Clean your hands and sanitize all the kitchen tools you need before starting. You don’t want to cause food poisoning.
- Next, combine chopped garlic, minced ginger, chopped onion, sliced pork, chopped chili pepper, and coconut milk in a pot.
- Mix the ingredients together before turning on the heat.
- Let the mixture boil.
- Once the dish boils, add one cup of coconut cream and some bagoong alamang.
- Let the mixture cook under low heat until it reduces.
- Next, add the rest of the coconut cream and adjust the flavor by adding more bagoong if needed. You can also add Serrano peppers or long green pepper.
- Continue cooking on low heat until the sauce becomes thick.
- Serve the dish hot, usually with white rice.
- Share and enjoy!
Bicol Express Recipe
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Filipino
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6
Ingredients
2 lbs. pork belly sliced into strips
1/2 cup shrimp paste or bagoong alamang
2 cups coconut milk
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 sliced Serrano pepper
2 cups coconut cream
6 pieces chopped chili pepper
1 thumb ginger minced
water, optional
1 piece chopped onion
Instructions
- Mix garlic, ginger onion, pork, chili pepper, and coconut milk in a pan.
- Cover the pan and put the heat on.
- Allow the mixture to boil.
- Remove the cover. Gently stir while adding half of the bagoong.
- Then, add about one cup of coconut cream and a cup of water. Stir and adjust the heat to low. Cook until the sauce reduces (about 50 minutes).
- Add the remaining shrimp paste or bagoong alamang and coconut cream as needed.
- Next, put the Serrano peppers. Continue cooking on low heat until the sauce becomes thick.
- Serve the dish with warm rice.
Bicol Express Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. pork belly sliced into strips
- 4 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 thumb ginger minced
- 1 piece onion chopped
- 6 pieces chili pepper chopped
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1/2 cup shrimp paste or bagoong alamang
- 1 pc Serrano pepper sliced
- 2 cups coconut cream
- water optional
Instructions
- Mix pork, garlic, ginger onion, chili pepper, and coconut milk in a pan.4 cloves crushed garlic, 1 thumb ginger, 1 piece onion, 6 pieces chili pepper, 2 cups coconut milk, 2 lbs. pork belly sliced into strips
- Cover the pan and put the heat on.
- Allow the mixture to boil.
- Remove the cover. Gently stir while adding half of the bagoong.1/2 cup shrimp paste or bagoong alamang
- Then, add about one cup of coconut cream and a cup of water. Stir and adjust the heat to low. Cook until the sauce reduces (about 50 minutes).2 cups coconut cream, water
- Add the remaining shrimp paste or bagoong alamang and coconut cream as needed.
- Next, put the Serrano peppers. Continue cooking on low heat until the sauce becomes thick.1 pc Serrano pepper
- Serve the dish with warm rice.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
The main ingredient for Bicol Express is pork. Cooks prefer using sumptuous pork cuts like pork shoulder and belly. Then, they cook the meat by boiling them in coconut milk with chili peppers and spices. As a main dish, Bicol Express is best served with warm white rice.
The recipe is named Bicol Express because Cely Kalaw, the maker of the dish, heard the train going to Bicol when thinking of a name. The dish features bite-sized pieces of pork with chili, coconut milk, onion, shrimp paste (bagoong), ginger, and garlic.
Bicol Express is eaten with warm white rice. The dish is also a great pulutan, a Filipino term for dishes that go well with alcohol, because of its creamy, spicy, and salty flavor. In other words, the dish can serve as an appetizer, side dish, or entrée.
Bicol Express is not from Bicol. This may come as a surprise, but the dish came from Manila, not Bicol.
Conclusion
Are you looking for a healthy and spicy yet creamy and delicious dish? Well, you can stop looking now. Use the Bicol express recipe above to satisfy your and your loved ones’ taste buds.
About HICAPS
Over the years, HICAPS has helped bakers and businesses make delicious products by offering ingredients like ChiffonAide Cake Oil, Magic Whizk Whipping Cream, Red Velvet Flavor Emulco, and Instabake Brownie Mix.
HICAPS also provides tools and resources to valued partners such as the free “How to Increase Your Sales Amidst the Pandemic” E-book and free dealer locator that helps look for baking ingredients near me.
Want more free tips and tutorials? Follow us on Facebook at Hicaps Mktg. Corp. and on YouTube at HicapsTV.
Want to be one of our valued partners? Fill this form out. Looking forward to talking to you soon!
good recipe
I love spicy dishes! Thank you for this recipe ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡