Elotes – Grilled Mexican Street Corn

Smothered in a tangy lime crema and crumbles of salty cotija cheese, these grilled Elotes should be the go to side dish of your grilled meats.

Do you like corn? Do you like corn smothered in a flavor delivery vehicle like butter or mayo? Are you looking for an easy grilled side dish with high impact?! Look no further than these Elotes, or Mexican-style street corn.

Elotes are so very simple, but they are a perfect mashup of the balanced flavors that comprise great dishes  – sweet corn, sour lime, spicy chile powder and salty cheese. All the flavor profiles, plus a little extra Umami from the Hardcore Carnivore Amplify flavor booster. Amplify is an all-natural MSG free powder made with chicken fat, and hits with a massive savory punch. You can leave it out if you must, but why would you want to?!

Yes, I live in Texas, and we’re lucky to have grilling weather for most of the season, but I recognise other parts of the country have to deal with something called snow. So, I’m going to be a little bit heretical here and offer you a cheaters option for creating these without a grill. Place your corn cobs on a plate then microwave in two minute increments, turning each time, until softened but not overcooked. For me this is usually about 6 minutes. Then, take a blowtorch to the cobs and go at it! Although it’s definitely not a substitute for the depth of smokey flavor that comes with grilling, you’ll get that beautiful charred appearance.

Elotes - Grilled Mexican Street Corn recipe

Ingredients

• 4 ears of corn
• 1/4 cup crema (Mexican sour cream)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 tablespoon Hardcore Carnivore Amplify
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (about one half)
• 1 oz crumbled cotija cheese
• pinch kosher salt
• chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Remove the husks and silks from the corn, if necessary.
2. Prepare a grill for direct heat grilling, medium heat. Around 400 degrees. Grill corn directly over heat/coals, turning every few minutes, until tender. This should take about 8-10 minutes all together, then remove from the grill.
3. In a bowl combine crema, mayo, Amplify, chipotle powder, lime juice, and salt. Stir well. Use the back of a large spoon to spread this mixture over each corn cob, making sure it's well covered.
4. Sprinkle the cobs with cotija cheese and optional cilantro garnish, then serve immediately.