Elotes (Mexican grilled street corn)

As a child in Los Angeles, I often spent weekends with my father who lived a block from Echo Park Lake, many years before it became the gentrified hipster neighborhood of today. We would walk around the park people watching, feeding the ducks, while searching for the perfect bench to sit and draw. As a future foodie, these visits to the park were full of gastronomic discoveries. On top of the omnipresent taco trucks parked around the perimeter, there was always an array of food carts to choose from, pushed by vendors singing out their offerings. Shaved ice doused in sweet syrups, fresh mango or melon with chili and lime, bags of fresh chicharrones, the options were endless, but my favorite was always the elotes. Hot grilled corn on a stick, slathered in mayonnaise with lime, rolled in cotija cheese and chili powder, an elote always made a fantastic, albeit messy, afternoon snack. My recipe below captures my memories of those Southern California flavors, and is an easy way to add a new twist to a summer barbeque staple.

Ingredients:

4 to 6 ears of corn, shucked

⅓ cup Mexican crema, or sour cream (see notes)

⅓ cup mayonnaise

1 clove of garlic, crushed

Zest of 1 lime, juice reserved

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground chipotle chili (see notes)

¼ teaspoon paprika

Pinch of salt

¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

½ cup cotija cheese, crumbled

Lime wedges for serving

Directions:

In a bowl mix the crema, mayonnaise, garlic, lime zest and dried spices. Add the salt and chopped cilantro. Taste, add more salt if needed. Cover and set aside in the fridge.

Heat grill to medium-high heat. When heated, lightly brush grill with oil. Grill corn, turning frequently, until cooked and slightly charred, 10 to 15 minutes.

Brush corn all around with the spiced crema mixture. Don't be shy. Sprinkle cotija evenly all around the corn, totally covering the crema. Squeeze half the lime you used for zest, over the tops, then garnish top with extra cilantro. For extra heat, and color, sprinkle a little more chipotle chili over the tops. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges on the side.

Notes:

Mexican crema has a slightly thinner texture and higher fat content to regular sour cream. You can find it in many grocery stores, and Mexican markets. If you can only find regular sour cream, thin it out with a tablespoon, or two, of lime juice.

You can experiment with different ground dried chilis such as California, cayenne, ancho or guajillo. Personally, I love the smokiness of ground chipotle pepper. Smoked paprika would also work well. Adjust the chili level to your preferred spice level. Remember, the creaminess of the crema and the sweetness of the corn will balance out the heat of the chili.

Getting a char on the corn is a big part of the flavor. If you don't have a grill, you can blanch the corn in boiling water for 3 minutes, then char in an oiled skillet, turning frequently while cooking over medium heat, till done.

Serve this at your next backyard barbeque. Try it as a side dish with grilled Carne Asada, or perhaps tacos stuffed with my Braised Brisket a la Mexicana (March 18, 2021 edition of The Times). Have extra limes, and cheese on the table for passing. Extra napkins are good idea, too. Buen provecho!