Bicol Express

 

Ingredients:

1 ½ Lbs. Pork belly cut in 1 in. cubes

1 Lb. Calabaza cut in 1 ½ in. cubes

1 Large ginger peeled & sliced thinly

2 Cans of Coconut milk 13.5 oz each

1 Large onion diced

4 Cloves of garlic peeled & smashed

1 Tsp. Ground black pepper

½ Tsp. MSG – optional

36 Pcs. Thai-peppers, stems removed

6 Finger peppers Siling mahaba cut in ¼ in. pieces, discard stems

Corn oil for sauteing

Green Onions for garnish

Note: Thai, Birds Eye, and Siling Labuyo are the same

Directions:

In a large pot heat 1 Tbs. of corn oil and saute garlic until golden brown. Next  add pork belly, season it with salt, and saute it for 3 minutes on medium heat. Add onions and ginger root and let it cook for 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, ground black pepper, msg, finger peppers, and Thai-peppers. Stir well and let it simmer for 25 minutes on medium low heat, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching. Then add calabaza and let it cook for ten minutes or until calabaza is tender. Adjust taste by adding salt & pepper if needed! Serve rice topped with Bicol Express & garnish with green onions. Enjoy & Feel the Heat!..

Note:

On this particular recipe I have my ginger root sliced in larger pieces so I can remove them before serving. However if you want to serve yours with ginger root you may so by slicing it in smaller pieces (julliene).

My final thoughts:

This is truly a magnificent dish. One piece of advice though is to only use as many chili peppers as you can handle. You can gradually increase the amount of chili peppers later on as you get used to the heat. As they say eating is one of life’s pleasures, taste and flavor are just as important to make sure you enjoy the food. That is why it is important that you do not exceed your own limit with chili peppers. You want to enjoy your food and not put yourself in severe pain.

When eating Bicol Express with the right amount of hotness to your liking you can truly enjoy this wonderful dish. You will immediately feel the heat as soon as you introduce it to your taste buds. The capsaicin from the chili peppers will trigger your brain to release endorphins which are a natural pain killer the human body produces. That’s when you get to the zone of enjoying one of life’s pleasure. Eating!…