Traditionally elote is roasted corn on the cob covered with hot chili powder, butter and Cotija cheese. They are sold by street vendors in urban areas of Mexico and it is like ordering ice cream because many vendors will have a selection of toppings to choose from. My friend recently traveled to Chicago and found many street vendors peddling it in the windy city. She gave it a try. It was prepared differently but she said it was totally awesome. So here is my attempt at replicating this very simple but wonderful tasting street food and turning it into a rich side dish for grilled beef or poultry.

If you are not planning on firing up the grill, you can substitute thawed frozen corn roasted on a baking sheet in a 450°F oven for 10 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 ears sweet white corn, cleaned of silk but with husk in tact
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or crumbeled Cotija if you can find it)
• 2 tablespoons hot Mexican chili powder (if you can’t find hot, use whatever but ad a pinch of cayenne)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt
• fresh ground pepper
• lime

PREPARATION:

Soak the ears of corn in a bowl of water for 15 minutes. Close the husks and tie one strand of the husks around each ear to hold the husks closed. Grill over medium high heat until the husks start to burn and the corn feel tender. If they seem like they are burning too quickly you can spray or splash a little water on them. When they cool down enough to handle, scrape the kernels from the cobs into a large bowl. Add the butter, mayo, cheese, chili powder and cumin and mix. Now add salt and pepper to taste and then a squeeze of the lime. Mmm, my mouth is watering.

Serves 4

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