Grilled Mexican Corn on the Cob
It happens. The mad rush to get over to your friend’s barbecue. Corn…check. Mayo, cheese, limes, chili powder…check. Fancy serving dish…check. Chihuahua…check. Show up to friend’s house one hour fashionably late. Camera… no dice… Time to play with my new smartphone camera and Instagram… Foodie = yes. Techie = NO.
My friend, Mandy, had recently mentioned that mayo on corn was a must. I was intrigued. I did some ‘mayo on corn’ research and then caught an episode on PBS about Mexican Corn (think it was Rick Bayless). I’m sure the rest of the world is fully aware of Mexican Corn, but I was not. Let me tell you: it is INCREDIBLE.
The corn is grilled directly on your barbeque/grill. Husks pulled back. Exposed. Totally naked.
The corn is then slathered with mayo, crumbled cotija cheese, chili powder and lime juice. This is IN YOUR FACE, messy, get me a bib, wipe-your-mouth-with-the-back-of-your-hand corn on the cob. And it’s worth every messy, tangy bite.
- Four fresh ears of corn (one per person)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled (or queso fresco if you prefer a less salty cheese)
- 2 Tbs chili powder
- 1 lime, quartered
- Heat the grill to medium high heat
- Peel back the husks and remove the silk from corn
- Cover the corn with the husks and soak in cool water for 10 minutes (this will prevent the husks from burning on the grill)
- Pull the husks away from the corn and grill the corn on the cob directly on the grill until browned evenly--this takes approximately 15 minutes
- Spread the mayonnaise evenly over the entire grilled ear of corn
- Sprinkle the crumbled cotija to cover the ear of corn
- Lightly sprinkle chili powder over the ear of corn
- Squeeze lime over the corn
- Prepare to be...well, you know...amazed
