Pages

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Elote - Mexican Corn on the Cob



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Elote, or Mexican corn on the cob, is a treat that I should make more often for my family. While it will never replace the spare glory of corn that's been freshly picked and steamed, this spicy treat, hawked by vendors in Mexico and the desert Southwest, is a real palate pleaser. While elote is usually grilled, it can be steamed or broiled before it is slathered with a mixture of butter, real mayonnaise and lime juice. The final fillip, applied just before serving, is a liberal sprinkling of cotija cheese and cayenne pepper. Cotija is a semi-hard and crumbly cheese that resembles Parmesan. It is used to add some saltiness and texture to the finished ears of corn. The corn is best served piping hot and all the condiments should be applied to it while the kernels are still warm enough to bathe in the butter and mayonnaise as they melt. I must admit to a bit of theme and variation when I make this. Rather than sprinkle the corn with cayenne pepper, which I find very harsh, I add a half teaspoon of mashed chipotle in adobo to the mayonnaise called for in the recipe. It adds gentle fire to the corn and I find it more pleasing to the tongue than cayenne. I also steam the corn when I make this recipe. I've found that's the best way to get consistently moist corn. I hope you'll give this a try. The classic recipe, sans my changes, appears below.

Elote - Mexican Corn on the Cob...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
4 cobs of corn
2 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
4 lime wedges
1/2 cup of cotija cheese, crumbled
Cayenne to taste

Directions:
1) About 1 hour before cooking, soak unhusked corn in water.
2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. When hot, drain corn and cook in husks for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.
3) Pull husk layers down, leaving them attached to base of the cob, which can act as a handle.
If you like blackened corn, place under broiler for five minutes, I personally find this dries the corn, but this is really a matter of individual preference.
4) While corn is warm, spread 1/2 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise on each cob. Sprinkle each ear with 2 tablespoons cheese and some cayenne pepper. Squirt lime juice all over cob. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.







One Year Ago Today: Raspberry and White Chocolate Ice Cream












Two Years Ago Today: Ultimate Cheaters Pulled Pork







You might also enjoy these recipes:
How to Grill Corn - A Spicy Perspective
BBQ Corn on the Cob - Shamrocks and Shenanigans
Grilled Corn on the Cob - Cookin' for My Captain
Sweet Microwave Corn on the Cob - Zestuous
Corn on the Cob with Feta and Mint - Meats, Roots and Leaves
Corn on the Cob with Chili Lime Butter - Stacey Snacks
Grilled Corn- What's 4 Dinner Tonight
Fire Roasted Summer Corn with Saffron Citrus Butter - Wicked Good Dinner
Summer Roasted Corn with Scallions and Prosciutto - L.A. Easy Meals
Corn in the Husk - Pots and Plots

68 comments:

  1. What a great way to prepare corn on the cob! I love the kick from the cayenne pepper!

    ReplyDelete
  2. looks awesome dear..
    n u really made my heart swing with ur inspiring feedback in my space..thank you..:)

    Tasty Appetite

    ReplyDelete
  3. My daughter has been making Elote for several months now after watching them in the Mexican market near our home. The sell it in a cup and call it 'corn in a cup'.

    The way they do it in the market is boiling the corn, then spread the Goya mayonnaise (distinctly different taste from Bast Foods)all over the cob. Sprinkle with shredded cotija cheese and a lime/paprika seasoning that she picked up at the market. Then cut it off the cob, put it in the cup or bowl and put a glob of squeezable parkey on top, mix it all up and serve.

    SOOOOOOOooooo good. I am not supposed to eat corn at all but I really do enjoy this.

    ReplyDelete
  4. wow this is a simple n yummy one.. In Chennai(india)these corn cobs are sold in beaches in a similar way..i love them

    ReplyDelete
  5. Such mist and fresh looking corn on the cobs ...i would love the cayenne pepper and lime juice over the creamy spread...

    ReplyDelete
  6. This sounds so delicious, Mary!
    Corn on the cob is not something we use to eat here!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Feel like having those corn on the cob, irresistible..

    ReplyDelete
  8. I often add chilli to my corn, but have never tried lime which I am going to do next time I cook some. Have a super Tuesday :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Looks yummy! I love the raspberry & white chocolate ice cream!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yum treat for all corn lovers..love it!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love this anytime..what a great way to eat corn on the cob..simply delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sounds great Mary, corn's just starting to be nice too:@)

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a wonderful recipe to welcome my return to blogland after a period of internet incommunicado!!! Corn is my favourite veggie - I SO look forward to trying this one out!!

    Thanx for visiting my blog - glad you liked the emu story!!!

    Have a great day!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Looks devine!! I love the kick of cayenne, but the subtle, smoky heat of chipotle is my favorite. Thank you so much, Mary. Have a wonderful day. blessings ~ Tanna

    ReplyDelete
  15. It looks fantastic!Well done,dear Mary!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I am more familiar with this as "corn in a cup" which we got at a Mexican place near our home when we were in Denver. They used parmesan. Once again I have to ask if you will consider using a font that is not tilted. I struggle reading it.

    ReplyDelete
  17. A great addition to the tradition butter on corn on the cob, I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Corn's not quite ready here yet . . . will have to try. I like steaming corn, too. I have tried lime butter and know I would like the added kick of some kind of hot pepper. Thanks for the inspiration. BTW, you also inspired me to make your asparagus pesto. Delightful! (Have to admit, Mr. Rosemary turned up his nose at it.)

    ReplyDelete
  19. My friend made this for a gathering and never passed on the recipe. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Corn's not quite ready here yet . . . will have to try. I like steaming corn, too. I have tried lime butter and know I would like the added kick of some kind of hot pepper. Thanks for the inspiration. BTW, you also inspired me to make your asparagus pesto. Delightful! (Have to admit, Mr. Rosemary turned up his nose at it.)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Oh! I miss this! I used to get this at the Texas State Fair. Nice switch out with the cayenne for the chipotle, save from tastebuds from a scorching :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. I love making Mexican corn. We do it a lot around our house. It's funny, I grew up in Nebraska where if you put anything on the corn, it was butter..a little salt and pepper. Now as I have gotten older I love try adding new flavors to the corn... it's fun!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Mary, your Mexican corn looks great! Here in the midwest, it's just butter and salt, so this is a must try! Sadly, our local corn will be late this year due to all the rain.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh thank you - I have a ton of corn in the fridge and didn't have any inspiration - you have just given it to me!
    Mary

    ReplyDelete
  25. lime and mayo sound like a great tasting combo for this I love the heat too.. nice job, will try for the 4th perfect timing!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Te quedaron bien.
    Me encantan comerlas en los puestos callejeros a las brasas.
    Un saludito

    ReplyDelete
  27. I've seen this often, but I think I'm usually strayed by the mayo that's in it. Think I might have to buck up and give it a go, because I love all of the other flavors that this includes!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Love the elote! So simple and so delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Mary, Mary, Mary... you sweet heart! I just got accepted to this month's 24X24 (Foodbuzz). My task is a day at the Farmer's market and lunch afterwards. These are on my menu now (but grilled) for this weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  30. simple and the addition of cheese and cayenne sounds yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  31. I've seen Mexican Corn on the Cob before but I've never made it myself...I need to, this looks really delicious! Thanks for the recipe, Mary. Hope you're having a wonderful week!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I love corn but never this way... so excited to try soon! Thanks for sharing and have a good week!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Elote has been on my to-make list for a few years, but somehow every summer goes by without me having made it. This is great inspiration to actually make it this summer!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Oh my gosh that sounds so wickedly good!

    ReplyDelete
  35. It will be a while before we have fresh corn in our area. This one sounds and looks fantastic.
    Rita

    ReplyDelete
  36. amazing!!! love the pictures Mary, Blessings! gloria

    ReplyDelete
  37. That looks really amazing!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I've never tried cooking corn in the husks before! I am really excited about it. What a fun new thing to try. Thank you :)

    ReplyDelete
  39. Muy buena la historia. Las fotos son bellas y el maiz me encanta.
    Un abrazo y que tengas una linda semana.

    ReplyDelete
  40. I had elote for the first time earlier this year and absolutely fell in love! So glad I can recreate it now with this recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  41. I love corn this way but, have never been able to recreate it at home. I love your tips of steaming and the chipotle. What a treat this would be if I could get mine to look and taste like yours.

    ReplyDelete
  42. I'm SO happy you posted this recipe, Mary! I've long wished to know how to make this type of thing and now I can! HOORAY! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  43. I wish that I had a piece right now...looks incredibly delicious!

    Thanks for your kind comments and for visiting ShawnsPlate :)

    ReplyDelete
  44. I love this and am always looking for new ways to prepare corn on the cob. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  45. Oh my....I love corn on the cob and this looks fabulous.

    ReplyDelete
  46. mmmm a different way to eat corn on the cob. looks good!

    ReplyDelete
  47. This looks delicious! Corn on the cob is one of my favorite summertime foods.

    - Maggie

    ReplyDelete
  48. Mary, Corn on the cob is a true summer treat. Both my wife and I just love fresh sweet corned steamed, slathered in butter with a little salt and peppoer. (We had a cat that loved it too!) In any case, this is a great sounding variation on a simple dish that we love. We will definitely give it a try! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

    ReplyDelete
  49. This looks so good, but I have never heard of the cheese you describe. Where would you find such a thing, Whole Foods? oh, I see corn ice-cream below, that should rate an appearance on Top Chef!

    ReplyDelete
  50. Corn on the cob is my favorite summertime indulgence, and since my brother grows lots of it I always have an abundance. I will have to try it this way! :)

    ReplyDelete
  51. Happy summer Mary! My family loves corn and I can't wait to make this for them. I love the addition of cotija - perfect summer side!

    ReplyDelete
  52. I'm sure my husband would love this Mexican version of corn on the cob, but I'm too whimpy(and I'm even part Mexican:)). Maybe I could just leave off the hot stuff:)

    ReplyDelete
  53. i've seen this made before but i've never had it. the very thought makes my mouth water, YUMM!

    ReplyDelete
  54. This is actually my favorite way to have corn!!! YUM! Sometimes I take it off of the cob and have it on top of burritos. Lavish? Yes a bit. Over the top? Yup. Delish, ABSOLUTLEY!

    ReplyDelete
  55. I'm eagerly awaiting our local corn on the cob...and this looks like a delightful recipe to try. Thanks, Mary...always a pleasure to drop by :)

    ReplyDelete
  56. This looks great Mary! great recipe for the summer!!!!

    Thanks for sharing:)

    Holly

    ReplyDelete
  57. That sounds so different! I will have to give it a try.

    ReplyDelete
  58. I love corn...could eat it every day....seriously! Going on my list!

    ReplyDelete
  59. Yes,I much prefer to steam the corns too rather than roast so that the corn are still plum and juicy:) I usually slatter on butter and sprinkle pepper powder on the hot corn before serving. Must try this version next time:) Looks good!

    ReplyDelete
  60. Street vendors sell this here, with the corn already removed from the cob in cups for easy street eating.

    ReplyDelete
  61. This looks so delicious! I need to try preparing corn on the cob this way...your photos are beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  62. This looks so good. My family will only eat corn on the cob this way. I prefer it the way I have always eaten it - slathered with butter and liberally sprinkled with salt.

    ReplyDelete
  63. No matter how many times I've had it, in however many places (Japan does it too), I have NEVER gotten used to mayonnaise on corn on the cob! Your version with the adobo makes me want to give it one more try, though...!

    ReplyDelete
  64. My mouth is watering just looking at this corn! What a great combination of flavors!

    ReplyDelete

If you've just found One Perfect Bite and you like what you see, why not become a follower to assure you won't miss a recipe.

Anonymous comments and those that not associated with a blog or email address will not be published