I love Mexican street corn. Did you know it's called esquites off the cob and elotes on the cob? I've had it from a few different restaurants around town in both forms, but needed to recreate it at home. I perfected my recipe when my sister-in-law requested it for her family birthday dinner. This fed a crowd (and extra for her to take home!) but you can easily halve it for a smaller portion.
2 tbsp butter
6 cans corn, drained*
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
zest and juice of one lime
1 cup cotija cheese, plus more for topping
2 tsp each, smoked paprika and chili powder
salt, to taste
Tajin, to taste
fresh cilantro, chopped
Melt butter in large skillet; add corn, jalapeno, and garlic. Sauté for 8-10 minutes; add scallions and sauté for another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the mayo, lime zest and juice, cotija cheese, and seasonings. Put corn mixture into large bowl and combine with mayo. Stir in cilantro, if desired. Top with more cotija and Tajin and enjoy!
*When corn is not in season, I use canned corn. If fresh corn is available, I would use 8 ears of corn. You could also grill the ears of corn before cutting off the corn, rather than sautéing after.
