Bicol Express

Bicol Express

Bicolanos are known for their love of hot and spicy food. Bicol express is surely an authentic Bicol dish using local ingredients around the region sili or chilli and with the cream of coconut milk is a superb combination, delicious and mouth watering taste that one can consume a lot of rice to offset the spiciness of chilli. 

The name of this dish was taken after an express train that travels from Manila to Bicol long time ago. With modernization the train is already outdated and long gone, people nowadays travel with airconditioned buses straight to Bicol but the dish still kept its name and an insignia of a truly Bicolano, a reminder of the history that will linger on to the next generation to come.

The dish became famous because of the amount of chilli added in the recipe. I am not a Bicolano but I've learned to love the dish. Chilli is available all year round, in wet markets or supermarkets. I has some medicinal values too. It contains medical compound called capsaicin and its co-compounds being employed in the preparation of ointments, rubs and tinctures for their astringent, counter-irritant and analgesic properties. This formulation has been used in treatment of arthritic pain, post-herpetic, neuropathic pain, sore muscles etc. http://www.nutrition-and-you.com

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Ingredients:

1 regular size onion

3 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons oil for saute

1 kilo pork or chicken 

1cup of red and green small chilli (siling labuyo)

3/4 cup 2nd (puree) extraction of coconut cream 

1/2 cup of 1st (puree) extraction of coconut milk

Method:

• Saute the garlic and onion with 3 tablespoons oil.
• Add the meat, pork or chicken cut in bite sizes.
• Add the 2nd extraction of coconut cream, let boil in medium heat until meat is tender.
• Add the chilli 1 cup or more to your preference then add salt to taste, let boil in low heat to reduce water.
• Lastly add the 1st extraction of coconut milk, let boil until it becomes thick like a sauce.
• Serve and enjoy your hot and spicy dish with white rice.

Note: 1 or 2 mature coconut is sufficient for the puree extraction.

Have fun and enjoy this authentic Bicol recipe.

Ciao!