Sweet corn is the perfect thing to eat right now - seasonal, fresh and perfect with almost nothing added to it.
But, there is one a way to make this summer produce even better. Let me introduce you to Elote: the ridiculously good Mexican Grilled Corn.
“Elote is the Aztec word for corn. The most traditional way of serving it in Mexico City on the streets is to steam it, then garnish it with lime, salt, mayonnaise, cheese and chile powder … and put it on a stick.”
Jonathan Magallenes is an expert on this corn dish as he serves up dozens of orders every day at his restaurant Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana in Germantown, Tennessee.
“It’s a really great dish because wherever you go in Mexico people are sort of riffing on the corn and doing there own thing using different or unique local ingredients to make it distinct to a certain place or certain region.”
“So the corn is often times hard to describe to people because mayonnaise is one of the ingredients. But we put it on and then remove almost all of it. There is almost very little left. You should not taste the mayonnaise.” The mayonnaise is what helps the cheese adhere to the corn.
And what type of cheese do you use? “So Cotija cheese. It’s an aged cow’s milk cheese from Mexico.” You can find it at Latin markets and many grocery stores either whole or pre-crumbled. Let taste be your judge.
“The elote in Mexico around the country is almost exclusively seen on the streets. You rarely, almost never see it in a restaurant.” Luckily in the U.S., this sweet yet fiery corn-on-the-cob can be found in restaurants or easily made at home.
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Buen Provecho!
Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana is located on Germantown Road in Germantown, TN. For menu and more information, visit www.delimexicana.com.
Elote: Mexican Corn-on-the-Cob
- Vegetable oil, for the grates
- 4 large ears corn, shucked
- 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup cojita cheese, crumbled
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- Cayenne pepper
- 4 lime wedges
Preheat a clean grill to medium-high with the lid closed for 8 to 10 minutes. Lightly brush the grates with oil.
Brush the corn with the butter. Grill the corn, turning occasionally, until just tender and slightly charred on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes total. Remove from the grill.
Spread the cheese on a large plate. While the corn is still warm, spread 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise evenly over each cob. Roll the cob in the cheese, sprinkle with the cayenne pepper to taste, and finish with squeeze of lime.
Serves 4.
Cooking Tip: Cotija cheese is a salty semi-hard, crumbly cheese that resembles grated Parmesan. Grated Parmesan or crumbled Feta are acceptable substitutes.
Variation: Want a simple grilled corn? Minus the toppings, this is the basic technique for grilling corn-on-the-cob.
Reprinted with permission from Simply Grilling by Jennifer Chandler.
