Collard greens are the better choice
Rick Martínez prefers using collard greens as a last-minute alternative to corn husks or banana leaves primarily for their flavor. "I only realized this after trying Oaxacan tamales," he explains, referring to a regional style that typically uses banana leaves, "but banana leaves actually add a lot of flavor." To replicate that taste, you need to wrap your tamales in a different plant material, and Martínez suggests collard greens for this task.
However, using collard greens for tamales comes with its own set of challenges. First, it's essential to clean the collard greens properly, which involves soaking them for about 15 minutes in water or a mixture of water, white vinegar, and salt before rinsing. After that, you'll need a knife, as Martínez notes, "you have to remove the stem; otherwise, it won't wrap properly." On the plus side, collard greens can be cooked for hours without losing their shape. Additionally, there's a unique benefit to using collard greens for tamales: unlike corn husks or banana leaves, they are edible, allowing you to enjoy the entire tamal — wrapper included — as a complete dish.
Parchment paper is an effective last resort
Among the various options for wrapping tamales, parchment paper is the most accessible choice for most home cooks. It's a kitchen essential due to its remarkable versatility, and there are numerous cooking hacks involving parchment paper to explore beyond this method. Similar to corn husks and banana leaves, parchment paper is pliable yet sturdy, maintaining its integrity when exposed to heat. However, it does not impart any flavor to the tamales, and some effort is required to use it effectively.
Rick Martínez views parchment paper as a suitable alternative, but he advises that "you'll need to cut it into small squares" to ensure uniform tamale sizes. He suggests cutting the parchment into squares measuring six by six to eight by eight inches. Using larger squares of parchment can simplify the process of filling and shaping the tamales. This wrapping technique is more common than you might think, and there are even companies that manufacture parchment paper specifically designed for tamales. However, at that point, you might as well opt for corn husks instead.
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