banana leaves
Hojas de Plátano
USES: To wrap and gently flavor foods, especially tamales and meats, for cooking.
FINDING: Mexican (and other Latin American) groceries, some Asian ones and via the internet.
CHOOSING: Frozen banana leaves are more readily available than fresh, and frozen ones add excellent flavor. Fresh or frozen, the leaves should be soft, in tact and not yellow. The packages of frozen ones should not contain ice crystals, indicating repeated thawing and freezing.
STORING: Fresh ones in the refrigerator, loosely wrapped, for a week or more, frozen ones in the freezer (in the original package) for up to 3 months; defrosted, in the refrigerator for a week or more.
Archives
- Achiote-Roasted Pork with Pickled Red Onions
- Braised Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Plantains
- Cochinita Pibil
- Cochinita Pibil on the Grill
- Green Chile Chicken Thigh Tacos
- Honey-Grilled Plantains with Toasted Pecans, Cream and Berries
- Mahi Mahi with a Seafood Mousse and Tomatillo Cream Sauce
- Oaxacan Lamb Barbacoa
- Oaxacan-Style Lamb Pit Barbeque
- Pot Roasted Pork with Yellow Chiles, Plantains and Piloncillo
- Slow-Cooked Achiote Pork
- Slow-Roasted Yucatecan Pig in a Pit
- Spicy Yucatecan Beef “Salad” Tacos
- Yucatecan “Pudding” Tamales with Achiote and Chicken
- Yucatecan Tamales with Greens, Pumpkinseeds and Egg
