Christian, it will to lower the heat next time while tenderizing the pork. Also, try not to cover the pot. If the sauce evaporates faster, try to add 1 cup of water at a time until the meat gets tender.

Thank you for sharing the article and the recipes. I tasted my first Bicol Express last night from a party and it was really “rushed” as she had no time to cook it due to time constraints, so I went home took some of it and added some more ingredients which I thought were lacking. It turned out fantastic! Love the recipe. God Bless!

I love the recipe, but lately, I notice my sauce is too oily at the end so I’m losing the coconut flavor. Any suggestions?

Bicol Express (the dish) is simply “gulay na lada” for us Bicolanos (or ginataang sili). It was not invented by Ms. Cely Kalaw, but she merely coined the name Bicol Express for this dish to make it more attractive. Well, she was right, our lowly gulay na lada became a superstar in the restaurant industry of the Philippines. We have to thank Ms. Kalaw for that. She introduced it in her buffet restaurant, The Grove, located in Ermita. The Grove in itself was a superstar in the seventies and eighties (together with Kamayan). It was one of the first buffet restaurants in Manila.

Yes, Dalia. Jalapeno, Serrano, and Habanero are good alternatives.