Recipe: Mexican Corn On The Cob

I come from a family of corn growers and I have fond memories of running through fields filled with tall, waving stalks; shucking bucket after bucket while sitting on the front porch; sinking my teeth into the colorful varieties my family had harvested, or sharing with college friends my grandfather’s popcorn on the cob.

So the last time I was at the market, I grabbed a few ears of bi-color corn, which is one of my favorite types. These little kernels are like quick hits of sweet sunshine, so tender and juicy you can eat it raw. But I also enjoy my corn cooked, so I decided to make Mexican corn on the cob—also known as elote.



Like almost all dishes, there are endless variations on elote, but most commonly it’s a cob of corn slathered in mayonnaise, cotija cheese (a semi-hard, crumbly cheese that resembles grated Parmesan), powdered chile peppers and lime juice. Sometimes, you can find it without mayonnaise and instead drenched in butter, margarine or crema. The corn can be prepared in many ways, such as steamed, roasted or grilled. And while it’s often served with the cob stuck on a stick, I’ve also had it with the corn scraped off into a cup with the condiments on top ready for mixing.


No matter how you eat it, however, the end result is always the same: a sweet, crunchy, fiery and juicy taste. I don’t have a grill, so I roasted my corn in the oven and then blackened it on my stove-top gas burner. You can also blacken it under the broiler, though mine is one of those sliding-drawer contraptions and as it’s so shallow I was afraid the husk might catch on fire. It’s best to spread the condiments on the corn while it’s still hot as this insures the fats will melt in between the kernels, providing even more succulent eating. The ground chiles (I like to use cayenne for its heat and brightness) and lime juice are essential for mitigating some of the sweetness of the corn and mayonnaise, and the cotija adds a pleasantly salty, soft texture that goes well with the corn kernels’ juicy snap.

Mexican corn on the cob

Servings 4

  • 4 cobs of corn
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 4 lime wedges
  • 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
  • Cayenne

Instructions

  1. In an oven heated at 350° F, cook the corn in its husk for 25 minutes.
  2. After taking the corn out of the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes, and then pull husk layers down, leaving them attached to the base of the cob, which can act as a handle.
  3. If you want to blacken your corn, you can either put it under the broiler for five minutes on each side or hold it over your stove’s gas burner. Be careful to keep the husk away from the flames!
  4. While warm, spread over each cob, 1/2 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise.
  5. Take 1/8 cup of cheese, and sprinkle it on the cob, then sprinkle on some cayenne pepper and squirt the lime over the cob. Eat warm.


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