Mexican Street Corn – The Best Way to Serve Corn

Elotes – better known as the classic Mexican street food:  Corn on the cob charred on the grill, then slathered in a spicy and creamy chili, garlic, and Cotija cheese. It’s so easy, and so delicious that you’ll be a quick convert to this way to serve corn.  And, across the US, fresh corn can usually be found at least 6 months out of the year.

The basic idea – which is the thought behind all that we do at Serious Foodie – is to find a great ingredient and serve it in the best way possible.  Start out with really great corn, grill it to perfection, and add some complementary toppings.  Good butter works.  Mexican crema works.  But when you add all the ingredients of elotes, you get…MAGIC!

There are many ways to grill corn, but in this case, you want to go with fully shucked cobs, cooked directly over very hot coals. If all goes well, the corn should be completely cooked through just as it begins to char, rendering each kernel bursting with sweet juice, with a rich, nutty flavor from the toasting.  Medium high heat, cooked about 2-3 minutes, then turn over for another 2-3 minutes.

You can find the Serious Foodie TexMex spice blend at our shop.  Click HERE to order.

Mexican Street Corn - The Best Way to Serve Corn

Grilling shucked ears of corn directly over very hot coals brings out the corn's nutty flavor and chars the kernels slightly. If you must, you can use a gas grill. The blend of garlic, cilantro, Serious Foodie spice blend, crema, and Cotija cheese, plus a final squeeze of lime, makes the corn sweet, salty, savory, nutty, creamy, and tart all at once.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

• 8 ounces extra firm tofu It is important to use extra firm
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil We use grapeseed oil
• 2 scallion Sliced, on a bias
• 1/2 medium Sweet onion Julienne sliced
• 3 cups Vegetables We used snow peas, shredded carrots, and broccolini
• 1 bottle Serious Foodie Tamarillo Grill Sauce Go to shop.serious-foodie.devsquad.tech to order
• Salt and Pepper To taste

Instructions

 

• Pat dry both sides of the steak.  Liberally season the steak with the Serious Foodie Seattle Espresso Rub.  Wrap the seasoned flank steak tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Sthe sauce over medium heat until it is reduced by one half. Add the mustard, rosemary, . Cook on low heat until the sauce is thick.
• Remove the steak from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking; pre-heat a gas or charcoal grill.
• To make the sauce: add the olive oil to a sauce pan, and heat over medium. Add the minced garlic, and saute until fragrant, about 60 to 90 seconds. Immediately add the wine and soy sauce, and reduce by 1/2 (about 5 minutes). Stir in the Dijon mustard, rosemary, brown sugar, and optional cayenne pepper. Simmer until desired thickness is achieved.
• Place the steak on the grill, and cook to desired doneness - about 6 minutes per side for rare. It's best not to over-cook flank steak.
• Transfer the steak to a plate, and let stand for 5 minutes before carving. Cut the steak across the grain, and serve with the sauce and the optional arugula fennel salad - see https://serious-foodie.devsquad.tech/versatile-vinaigrettes/

Notes

Some people have asked "what about the bright red color we see from tandoori chicken at our local restaurant?"  The red color comes from food coloring.  If you want red color, we suggest using annatto paste, which can be found in most Latin American grocery stores.  One teaspoon added to the yogurt marinade works just fine.

This same marinade works well with lamb, or a meaty fish such as swordfish.

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