Mexican Street Corn

Fresh corn covered with a mayo and cheese sauce, then broiled - one of the great Mexican treats!

MEXICAN  STREET  CORN - elote: 

6 medium-size ears of corn on the cob, with the husks

2 tablespoons melted butter

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon lime juice plus wedges of a lime for serving

½ cup crumbled Cotija cheese or Queso Blanco (Monterey Jack cheese is a good substitute)

1 teaspoon each, salt and freshly ground black pepper (omit salt if using Cotija Cheese)

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped 

-To prep the corn: Pull and fold back the husks of each ear of corn, leaf by leaf, and tie them together with kitchen twine. Wash lightly and remove the silk from the cobs. Lightly brush corn on the cob with melted butter. Heat a grill pan, an outdoor grill or the oven broiler. (If broiling place on a lightly greased baking sheet.) Grill corn, turning occasionally until it is browned in spots. This can happen quickly so check it frequently.

-To make the sauce, in a bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, chili powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, salt & pepper (if used) and lime juice. As soon as it is grilled and while it is still hot, generously brush each ear of corn on the top side, with the mayo mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with cilantro or parsley and serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Yes, it’s messy but what a way to mess up! A delicious and unique way to serve corn.

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

**For a skillet version of Mexican Street Corn:

-Cut the niblets off the cobs. You should have 4 - 4 1/2 cups of corn niblets. Frozen corn can be used as well.

-Heat 2 tablespoons of butter or oil in a medium saute pan, over medium-high heat. Stir in the corn and saute for 5 - 7 minutes, stirring frequently or until it starts to brown. (If using frozen corn, you don’t need to thaw it first, but it may take a couple more minutes to cook.)

-Mix ingredients for the mayo sauce as described in the recipe above and mix it into the sauteed corn. Stir in the cheese and sprinkle with cilantro or parsley. Serve with wedges of lime on the side.

**If Queso Blanco or Cojito cheese are hard to find, substitue Monterey Jack Cheese. Cojito cheese is very salty, so if that is your choice, cut down on the amount of added salt. Other good sustitutes for the Mexican cheese include Muenster, Fontina or even Mozarella. A pinch of Parmesan cheese will also enhance the cheesiness of the sauce.