Bicol Express
Bicol Express
Learn how to make Bicol express with pork belly, coconut milk, bagoong, and chili—a spicy Filipino ulam from Bicol.
Serves 6 · 1h total
The Story
Bicol express is the dish that announces itself before it reaches the table—you smell coconut milk, bagoong, and chili from the kitchen.
Despite the train-themed name popularized in Manila, the soul of the dish is Bicol: pork cooked in gata with shrimp paste and bird's eye chilies until the sauce is rich and spicy enough to make you reach for extra rice.
Like laing and ginataang gulay on your site, it belongs to the gata family. The difference is heat and pork fat—Bicol express should feel luxurious, not lean.
Best paired with
Steamed rice, grilled fish, or pickled papaya to cut the richness.
Use it in these KusinaPH recipes
Lola's Tips
- ✦Cook pork until lightly browned before adding coconut milk so the flavor is deeper.
- ✦Simmer gata on medium heat—boiling hard can split the coconut milk.
- ✦Add siling labuyo whole for aroma or sliced for more heat.
- ✦Balance salt from bagoong before adding extra patis.
Substitutions
- pork belly → pork shoulder cubes
- siling labuyo → Thai chilies or cayenne for heat
- bagoong alamang → bagoong isda
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Heat oil in a pot. Saute garlic, onion, and ginger until fragrant.
- 2
Add pork belly and cook until lightly browned.
- 3
Stir in bagoong and half the coconut milk. Simmer 15 minutes.
- 4
Pour in remaining coconut milk and whole chilies. Simmer 20 minutes until pork is tender and sauce thickens.
- 5
Adjust with patis or more bagoong if needed. Serve hot with rice.
Kitchen Timer · 15 min prep first
45:00
