Mexican-style grilled corn, an unexpected side dish

With very few ingredients it is possible to prepare a truly delicious and tasty side dish like Mexican corn on the cob.

In Italy it is not very popular to consume corn on the cob as it is. Corn kernels are used in some recipes but few have tried Mexican corn on the cob. Yet this easy side dish shouldn’t be so foreign to our culture, especially given that corn cultivation is quite widespread in Northern Italy.

Mexican-style corn cobs are prepared by cooking them first on the grill or in water and then covering them with spices and cheese . In Mexico, cobs with spices are called elote and the cheese used to flavor them is cotija . However, since it is impossible to find in our latitudes, you can replace it with grated cheese (Parmesan or Grana Padano) or feta. Let’s see together how to make this simple recipe.

How to prepare the recipe for Mexican corn on the cob

1. First peel the cobs and remove the beard and stem. Boil them in plenty of unsalted water for 20-30 minutes depending on the size. We prefer them with tender grains, but if you want a crispier corn on the cob, you can easily reduce them.
2. Once ready, drain and pass them on a hot grill without adding any seasoning. It will take approximately 5 minutes for them to color.
3. In the meantime, prepare the spices for your Mexican-style grilled corn: put the paprika in one dish, grated cheese in the other.
4. Brush the corn on the cob first with the butter then with the mayonnaise. Sprinkle them with lime and finally pass them in the cheese and then in the paprika. Serve hot, garnishing as desired with freshly chopped coriander.

This quick recipe can also be prepared with precooked corn on the cob . In this case you can skip the first steps and follow the recipe from the second step, which is cooking on the grill. Also, if you liked this recipe, we recommend that you also try the grilled corn on the cob: they are really delicious.

storage

Mexican corn should be eaten freshly made . However, if you have prepared too many corn on the cob, we advise you to keep them unseasoned in the refrigerator for a maximum of two days .