Who likes Tamales steamed with banana leafs
 

You gotta love em

Re: Who likes Tamales steamed with banana leafs
 

They look delicious! I've always wanted to but never felt that I had enough leaves to spare; corn husks are rubbish anyway and free or cheap. I've baked/cooked fish in fig leaves and, of course made stuffed grape leaves; can you imagine using corn husks for either purpose?

Re: Who likes Tamales steamed with banana leafs
 

OMG we need more than just a headline..........

Re: Who likes Tamales steamed with banana leafs
 

LOL LOL Im Mexican and I have issue with corn husks as rubbish... But I am interested in banana leaves indeed.......

Re: Who likes Tamales steamed with banana leafs
 

I love 'em. Haven't had real good tamales since I lived in Charlotte, NC. Also tacos de carne de cabeza, double wapped in soft white corn tortillas. Charlotte has one of the best quality Mexican restaurants ever - Taqueria Mexico at 7001 South Blvd. Everything tastes like the abuela is doing the cooking!!!

Re: Who likes Tamales steamed with banana leafs
 

Do the banana leaves give them that tasty flavor you get in imu?

Re: Who likes Tamales steamed with banana leafs
 

What is IMU??? Im just used to corn husks wether fresh or dried. I do use banana leaves in roasting pork . Just never thought of them in tamales

Re: Who likes Tamales steamed with banana leafs
 

Sorry - imu is Hawaiian style underground oven - build a big fire for about 4 hours, end up with layers, from bottom:

burning charcoal
red hot stones ("puka" rocks or other non-exploding type, or fire bricks)
banana stumps cut up like celery
grade A banana leaves to make a clean deck
bundles of food wrapped in ti leaves
grade A banana leaves
banana stumps cut up like celery
grade B banana leaves
grade B banana stumps
(then usually some combo of tarps and or dirt but just a big pile of chopped up banana plants will do fine)

So the food is essentially cooked in banana steam. Good flavor, generally called "kalua", as in "kalua pig". The meat is pulled apart and soaks in hot salty water til served. Everything gets the kalua flavor, even just a potato.

Re: Who likes Tamales steamed with banana leafs
 

yes very much so......

Re: Who likes Tamales steamed with banana leafs
 

once you try banana leafs for cooking tamales, you will never use nasty dried husk ever again..

Re: Who likes Tamales steamed with banana leafs
 

I didn't mean that as a slam but you can get them free if you hang out in the produce aisle where people shuck ears. (Fresh actually give an interesting flavor to tamales.) I've used aluminum foil in a pinch; absolutely no flavor there.

Re: Who likes Tamales steamed with banana leafs
 

I like to wrap my snacks in "Mexican pepperleaf" (thanks Kat!) before wrapping in the 'nanner leaves.

Re: Who likes Tamales steamed with banana leafs
 

Great! Now I have more leaves to try! :ha:

I'm of the opinion that collard leaves will not replace grape leaves no matter how many people sing their praises and argue that they will. I may now live in the south but I am not a fan of collards. (Friends keep loading me up with their surplus; fortunately, I have a neighbor who appreciates the bounty so I can be polite and take a 10lb bag without feeling guilty. Blech. Kale? Not bad. Swiss chard? Yummy. But neither as a wrapper.)

Re: Who likes Tamales steamed with banana leafs
 

So you eat the banana leaves with the tamales? I'd like to taste some made with leaves. I love tamales.

Re: Who likes Tamales steamed with banana leafs
 

i dont think so its just a wrapper,
thanks for the info bob, now i have more plants to find lol

Re: Who likes Tamales steamed with banana leafs
 

We just had some chicken breast (which I am not normally a fan of ) wrapped in the pepperleaf & banana leaf; it stayed very moist & tender.
The pepperleaf is not a strong overpowering flavor, maybe we do some bug tailz on the BBQ next!
word of caution though, the Piper auritum is considered to be an aggressive grower in some areas, not out here in CA 'cuz the stuff dislikes strong sun & prefers to have its "feet wet".
Mine grows under a shade cloth in a small wading pool, standing in 1"-2" of water.
I expect it to go great as a 1st wrapper on some tamales!