CORNfirmation, Summer is Here! (Elote-Grilled Mexican Street Corn)
I consider my weekly trip to our local Farmer’s Market as my sanity break from COVID-19. As the weather warms not only are more folks coming out but the variety of fruits and vegetables at the market has also blossomed. As the apples and pears bid us goodbye-cherries, stone fruits, and berries have slid into those same spots without missing a beat.
My usual routine on Sundays is to head over to our local farmers market. I line up around 8:30, before the market opens at 9:00, to grab my half flat of strawberries. All my “ducks” are in a row so I then hop over to the next kiosk for microgreens and mushrooms, veggies at Live Earth Farm, and then cherries on the corner along with my Asian veggie fix. I wrap up my shopping at the fresh blueberries stand and then sit on a bench with my buds to catch up.
This past Sunday, I added a stop.
Fresh Corn is Back Baby!
There I was, waiting in the strawberry line when I noticed a new stall next to the strawberries, FRESH CORN. This signals the beginning of summer. Everybody have corn tonight, uh-huh, uh-huh.
The Paint
Most of the time we boil or steam the corn and happily munch on them unadorned, a sprinkle of salt perhaps. My new favorite way to serve fresh corn is as Grilled Mexican Street Corn called Elote. Shuck the corn and throw them on a hot grill until they are nicely charred. Remove and slather corn with mayonnaise or a 50:50 blend of mayonnaise and sour cream or Mexican Crema. If you have an aversion to mayo, you could use just sour cream or melted butter. I use a brush to “fine-tune” how much mayo I spread on each cob to appease my guilt about the calories.
The Sprinkles
The essential ingredient for corn sprinkles (cute, eh) is chili powder. A purist will get specific chili powders like ancho or guajillo, which can be purchased online or at any Hispanic market. These are specifically dried chilis ground into powder. Chili Powder found in most supermarkets is actually a blend of chilis and other spices like cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and cayenne. ANY of these work for Elote.
AND THEN…You can try commercial products made to mimic the flavors of Elote and enhance your “street food” dish. I like Tajin, a blend of chilis, lime, and salt. Think of it as the granddaddy of the Mexican spice blend. Lately, TJ’s has jumped on the bandwagon and has a Chili Lime seasoning blend and in their Everything But The…line, an Elote blend that contains Parmesan, Chipotle, cumin, and cilantro, which sounds pretty darn delicious.
The Fixins’
The finishing trifecta for your Elote. Sprinkle fresh chopped cilantro and crumbled Cotija Cheese or in a pinch, Parmesan cheese, and finally a squeeze of lime all over the corn.
Done, so good.
For those of you who just can’t stand corn between your teeth, after grilling, scrape the corn off the cob. Put the corn in a bowl and add the sprinkles and fixins’ on top, voila, a delicious, colorful Corn Salad, and no flossing. Check out Serious Eats’s Esquites-Mexican Street Corn Salad.
Enjoy
Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
Ingredients
- 6 ears corn shucked and cleaned
- 1/3-1/2 cup mayonnaise or use a blend of Mayo and sour cream or Crema
- Chili powder See post for variations
- 1/3 c. crumbled cotija cheese or Parmesan in a pinch
- Freshly chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Grill corn, turning often, until slightly charred all over, about 10 minutes.
- Brush corn with a layer of mayonnaise and sprinkle with chili powder, cotija, and cilantro. Serve warm with lime wedges.