This Bicol Express recipe comes from Honesto C. General, author of The Coconut Cookery of Bicol and Hendog’s grandfather. Compared to our past Bicol Express recipes that leaned on the meatier side, this version is way more chili-centric. There’s four times more chilies than pork!
This Bicol Express features long green chilies or finger peppers, also known as siling haba or siling pangsigang. “The original recipe called for siling labuyo,” writes Honesto General, “but this is too hot, even for most Bicolanos.” If you think you can take the heat, swap out some of the green chilies with siling labuyo (red chilies).
Green chilies not mild enough?
To tone down the heat from your chilies, soak the chopped chilies in water until ready to add to the coconut milk mixture. For even milder heat, scrape off and discard the seeds from the chilies before chopping.
This recipe is adapted from The Coconut Cookery of Bicol by Honesto C. General.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- ½ cup minced onions
- 2 tbsp chopped lemongrass
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- ½ cup sliced liempo (pork belly)
- ½ cup balao or burong hipon (salted small shrimps)
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 2 cups chopped siling haba (green chilies)
Cook aromatics: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, lemongrass, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and fragrant, about 3–5 minutes.
Cook pork: Add sliced liempo. Cook, stirring frequently, until pork is browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add balao and cook, stirring to distribute, until aromatic.
Add coconut and chilies: Pour coconut milk into the pan and bring to a boil. Add chopped chilies. Cook, stirring frequently to prevent scorching the bottom, until chilies are soft, coconut milk has reduced slightly, and oil has split and floated to the top, about 15 minutes.
Serve: Serve Bicol Express hot with steamed rice.
