Call it a vegetable, call it a grain, call it a fruit. Either way, corn has a place at the table all over the world. In the summertime, a cookout just doesn’t seem complete without it. This recipe for Mexican Street Corn will take this summer staple next level.
Like all of these Recipes for Runners, we tried this one prior to publishing. Yes, it’s amazing. And, yes, we cooked our corn off the cob in a cast iron skillet. We can’t follow simple directions, apparently, and we just like the way some of the kernels get slightly browned in the process. You do you, and enjoy!
Mexican Street Corn – Chef Rhonda Stewart, Senior Instructor, College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University
Servings: 4 – 6
Ingredients:
- 6 ears of Fresh Corn on the Cob, shucked
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely minced
- 1 Tbsp. Cholula or other hot sauce (or to taste)
- 1 lime, both zest and juice
Method of Preparation:
- Cook your corn. (Stovetop or grill)
- You can stovetop cook it by placing ears in cold water, and bring water to the boil. Cover pot. Turn off the heat. Corn will be ready in 10 minutes and will stay warm until needed. This is an easy method, especially if you don’t want to heat up your grill or your grill is filled with other delicious items.
- Or, grill the corn. Heat grill to medium high heat. Place shucked ears on the grill, turning frequently until some of the kernels are a bit charred. This gives the corn a delicious nutty smokey flavor.
Make the sauce:
- Stir the rest of the ingredients together in a separate bowl. Once the corn is cooked, spread sauce on each ear and serve. Enjoy!
Notes:
- Can’t find Cotija Cheese? Other options can include crumbled feta or shredded Parmesan.
- We like Duke’s, but low-fat mayo can work, too. You can also use 1/2 mayo, 1/2 sour cream.
- Not everyone loves cilantro. Parsley, chives, or oregano will work instead.
- Hot sauce. Cholula, Tabasco, Sriracha, Texas Pete, choose your favorite! We used Spicy Chili Crunch because we like it.
- This really completes the flavor profile for this sauce. We use so much around here, we have a bottle of fresh-squeezed lime juice in fridge.
- Leftover corn? (Doubt it!) You can cut the kernels off the cob, stir in some fresh cherry tomatoes, more cilantro, diced cucumbers and black beans for a great side salad. You can add a simple vinaigrette or more of this sauce.
- It’s not just for street corn, either. This sauce is also great with grilled fish, chicken, sausage, veggies. It will be your new favorite condiment!