I wrote about several corn ideas last month but when it came to put cob to fire again yesterday I decided to make yet another south-of-two-borders variation by leaving the kernels on the cob and slathering it in mayonnaise, chile, and lime juice – the wildly popular elotes or “Mexican street corn”. This is a peak season winner as the fresher the corn, the better the taste, especially in such a simple preparation. Hopefully you know a local farmer or if you don’t, can sneak into his field at night.
Normally you’d see Mexican crema in this recipe which is a sour cultured heavy cream but you can also task pure sour cream here since it seems to stick to the grilling corn just as well in the mix. My homemade mayo far outshines ready-made and completes the flavour with plenty of tangy goodness. I also have the luxury of a great organic farmer-owned dairy who makes sour cream miles beyond the usual store brands that are ‘artificially soured’. If you only have the latter, you might want to consider alternatives.
And finally, this is a case where I think you must use charcoal for flavour. Propane or other gas simply isn’t good enough here. If you live in a tiny apartment, buy a tiny hibachi and cook on the front stoop. Find a park with public grills. Build a fire in a circle of rocks on the ground and throw a steel baker’s cooling rack over for a grill. Engineer whatever you must but use charcoal.
Elotes Over Charcoal
5 tablespoons homemade mayonnaise*
4 tablespoons Mexican crema (or substitute high quality, full-fat (14%) sour cream)
2 tablespoons dried pure chile flakes, any variety and heat level but not blended chili powder
fine sea salt to taste
6 ears freshly picked sweet corn
1 lime, cut into six wedges
100 grams finely crumbled Cotija cheese (or substitute mild feta)
* If you simply must use ready-made mayo, ‘loosen’ it with two teaspoons of fresh lemon juice or water first. But really, if you have a lemon, an egg, and some oil, why not make your own from scratch?
As your let a small charcoal fire burn to an even grey colour, remove the husks and silk from the corn under cold running water. Mix the mayo and sour cream with half the chile flakes. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Allow to stand for ten minutes.
Grill the corn on all sides directly over the coals until barely roasted with only a few charred spots, turning often and adjusting the height above the coals as necessary, about three minutes. Brush the corn on all sides with half the mayo mix and continue to roast to desired level of char, anywhere from three to eight minutes longer depending on the fire and preference. Keep it moving since it can go from lovely char to burnt black in just a few unwatched seconds.
Remove from grill, brush with remaining mayo mix while still warm, and dust with remaining chile flakes, crumbled cheese, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Devour outside where flying kernels won’t be a problem. Corn ‘holders’ or pointed wooden skewers can be found everywhere this time of year too if you really need a handle on things.
