Recipe: Bicol Express

I never cooked this dish when I was in the Phils because my Mom doesn't like spicy foods. I usually order this whenever I'm at restaurants. 



 
Now that I live here in Sydney, I had to learn how to cook this because it's rarely that I eat at Filipino Restaurants.

I only started cooking this dish early this year. I once brought this to a party and my friends loved it. This is a promised post to my friend Rachelle, who's been waiting for me to share this--so here it is Rache, this recipe post is for you. :)

What you need:

2 Tablespoons Canola Oil

4 cloves of garlic, chopped up and smashed
1 large onion, chopped fine

1 small can of Coconut Cream (about 120-150 grams)

1/2 cup of water
200 grams green chillies (you can add more if you want your dish super spicy)
1/2 kilo Pork Rashers
2 teaspoons of Shrimp Paste or Bagoong

300 grams Baguio Beans

Salt, to taste

In preparing your chillies:

1. Remove the stems from the chillies.
2. Take the first half of the chillies, slice lengthwise and remove seeds and piths, then cut into small bits.
3. For the second half of the chillies, cut into small bits pieces with pith and seeds intact.
4. Wear gloves when slicing the chillies so that your fingers won't burn.
5. If you don't want your Bicol Express too spicy, remove ALL seeds and piths.

What you need to do:
1. Saute onion and garlic in oil.

2. Add coconut cream, water and pork. Let it simmer until pork is tender, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Throw in the green chillies and Baguio beans. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes and wait for sauce to thicken.
4. Add the Shrimp paste (Bagoong) and let it sit for a minute or two.

Some tips:
1. You can also use Coconut Milk. I use Coconut Cream because I want my Bicol Express creamier.
2. Adding Baguio Beans are optional. I just like my dishes with vegetables in it.
3. I only use green chillies for Bicol Express because it is milder compared to the red chillies. I tend to be careful with how much chillies I put into this dish because not everyone has the same tolerance for spicy food.