The Bite: Mexican Street Corn

Corn Is The Only Food You Hold Like Corn.

Let’s Blog Over Eloté!!!

Corn is in season ya’ll and out here in Houston it’s been selling quickly. Corn is at its freshest and sweetest during the height of summer and in late summer. Its best when just picked, with the freshest ears usually found at farmers’ markets. Choose ears with green husks and no signs of browning or drying. They should feel cool, never noticeably warm. The silk, or tassels, should be pale yellow and moist. The kernels should be tightly packed in even rows and look plump and juicy. When you tear back the husk at the market to view the corn inside, you are shortening its shelf life. That was your quick educational lesson on corn, now let’s get to it.

If you haven’t had eloté you are missing out on life! You can usually find this at fairs, and carnivals, but I just make it at home.

Eloté is grilled corn on the cob coated with a mixture of cotija cheese, mayo, sour cream, chile powder and lime before getting topped with more cheese. The combination of the sweet corn with the salty cheese and spicy chile powder makes for an addictive vegetable side for any summer barbecue.

I personally am not a fan of mayo, so I use an herb compound butter in it’s place. It’s totally up to you which route you choose to go though.

By the way, this pairs perfectly with my barbecue chicken recipe here. 

Here’s What You’ll Need

• 8 ears of corn, shucked.
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• Kosher salt and pepper
• Cojita cheese
• Cilantro
• Lime
• Ancho Chilé Powder
• 8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room
    temperature
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh chives
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of mayo (if you choose this way)
• 1/2 cup of sour cream (if you choose this way)

Directions

• Light a grill. On a sheet pan, toss the corn with the oil, then season with salt and pepper.
• In a bowl, combine the butter, parsley, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, cojita cheese, cilantro, lime zest, and chilé powder. Mayo and Sour cream if you prefer.
• Place the corn on the hottest part of the grill and cook. Turning as needed until cooked through and charred.
• Remove from the grill and immediately brush on the cheese mixture. Add more cheese, cilantro, and Chile powder.  Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Enjoy!