Mexican Street Corn (aka Elotes)
Oh, Mexican Street Corn, where have you been all my life?
You know those formulaic (and perhaps pretentious) blogs resembling something out of a J Peterman catalogue? Sure you do. The blogs where someone in Etherland tells us about the first time he/she sampled (type of food) while traveling in (exotic land) wearing a (bikini, kaftan, sheepskin thong, whatever) as he/she cruised down the (faraway river). (Guilty!)
This is not one of those blogs. I did not buy street corn skewered by a stick from a vendor on my last visit to Mexico.
I did, however, bury my teeth in a roasted cob of corn, so crunchy + sweet, and I did slather my face with a spicy + creamy smear of mayo + cheese + chile powder. But all that sexy stuff happened in my kitchen. Last night. All by myself. And my reaction was explosive.
Let’s just say this: If I had made a video for this corn, and if someone happed upon my facial expression in said video as I ate that corn, that person would have grabbed the TV remote thinking he had erroneously clicked on a racy channel. The expression on my face was sheer and utter food porn. It was explosive, indeed.
But enough about that. Back to the recipe…
As you see in my photo, I kept the husks. That is just an aesthetic, and you are not obliged to do the same. If you choose this route, however, soak the husks before placing corn on the grill.
As you grill the corn, I want you to imagine the ears have 4 sides. You will grill each side for 3 minutes, rotating to the next side once charred, for a total of 12 minutes. Look at the char on these ears. The Man did this. Man like fire. (Cue the grunting noises.)
This Mexican Street Corn pairs well with a cold beer…or Champagne (wink, wink).
Enjoy!
XXOO AB
Let me know if you make a food porn face, too. Leave a comment below and tag #nakedepicurean on Instagram so we can celebrate together!
Mexican Street Corn aka Elotes (for 6)
INGREDIENTS
- 6 ears yellow corn
- ½ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (or to taste)
- 1 lime, juiced and zested
- ½ cup cotija or feta cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- lime wedges for serving serve
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat grill to 400 degrees F.
- Whisk together the Mexican crema, mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic, ground pepper, lime zest and lime juice. Set aside.
- Place corn directly onto grill. Grill the corn for about 3 minutes or until charred. Rotate and grill for another 3 minutes. Repeat until all 4 sides are golden brown, then remove to a plate.
- Slather the sauce over the corn in its entirety. Then sprinkle with crumbled cotija and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with additional cilantro and chipotle pepper, if desired. Serve with extra lime wedges.
