Grilled Mexican Street Corn

This recipe pays ohmage to Mexico’s extremely popular and delicious street corn called Elote. A staple of summer grilling, it’s easier to make at home than you might think.

Turning ears of corn into elotes—the classic Mexican street food of corn on the cob charred on the grill, then slathered in a spicy and creamy chile, garlic, and Cotija cheese–spiked sauce—is the best way to serve corn, period.

Elotes are a staple on my balcony grill over the summer. It’s about as easy and inexpensive a dish as you can think of, and there is nothing—really, nothing—that’ll get snatched up and eaten as fast as a hot plate of this corn. I’ll usually count on making at least an ear and a half per person.

Ingredients

• 4 Shucked ears of corn
• Vegetable Oil (for brushing on the corn)
• 1/4 cup of mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup of crumbled Cotija cheese
• 1 medium clove garlic, finely minced (about 1 teaspoon)
• Ancho chile powder
• Lime wedges

Directions

1. Soak 4 wooden skewers in water, 30 minutes. Preheat a grill to high.
2. Insert a skewer into each ear of corn. Brush the corn with vegetable oil. Grill, turning, until charred all over, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Combine cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream or crema, cilantro, chile powder, and garlic in a large bowl. Stir until homogeneous and set aside.
4. Brush the grilled corn with the above mixture and sprinkle with the cheese. Sprinkle with chile powder and serve with lime wedges.

Option

If you don’t want to bother firing up the grill, it’s just as tasty and easy to make this corn indoors as it is out. The key to cooking esquites indoors is to remove the corn kernels from the cob before you cook them. Cook the kernels in a ripping-hot wok (you can use a regular skillet, though it’s a bit messier), letting them sit in place until the sugars caramelize and a deep, dark char develops, before tossing and letting them char again.

What To Pair With Mexican Street Corn

Grilled Mexican corn makes any backyard barbecue into a party. Try pairing it with some of these dishes:

• Carne Asada
• Fish Tacos
• Grilled Chicken
• Black Bean Smash Burgers
• Summer Veggie Tacos