Bicol Express

Bicol Express comes from the Bicol region, where coconut milk and chili are the cornerstones of the kitchen, and it is one of the spiciest things Filipino home cooking has to offer. Named after the train that once ran between Manila and Bicol, the dish is a love letter to creamy coconut and searing heat, with salty shrimp paste tying it all together. It is the dish you make when you want dinner to make you sit up and pay attention.

Creamy, fiery, and utterly addictive

The coconut milk simmers down into a rich, lightly thickened sauce that clings to tender cubes of pork belly, while shrimp paste gives everything a deep, savory funk. Then come the chilies — a gentle warmth from long green ones and a proper bite from tiny bird’s-eye chilies. Over a mound of rice, with the sauce pooling at the edges, it is comfort food with a pulse.

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