Char corn hard in cast iron, fold into spiced crema with three chiles, and skip the cart line
Ingredients
Ingredients
- FOR THE ELOTE:
- 6 cups corn (fresh or frozen)
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 bunch cilantro, leaves only, chopped (save some to garnish)
- 1/3 cup red onion, diced finely
- 1 Anaheim chile, stemmed, seeded, diced
- 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, diced
- 1 serrano chile, stemmed, roasted, seeded, diced (optional for heat)
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3/4cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 1-1/2 cups Cotija cheese, grated (save some to garnish)
- 10 oz grape tomatoes, sliced or diced (save some to garnish)
- 1-1/2 Tablespoon Casa M Spice Co® Ace Kickstart®
Method
-
01
Prep all vegetables and cilantro
12 minDice onion and chiles, chop cilantro, slice tomatoes, grate cheese.
-
02
Heat oil in cast-iron skillet
2 minMedium-high heat to get skillet ready for charring.
-
03
Char corn in skillet until desired level
8 minPat down evenly, stir occasionally for even char.
-
04
Remove from heat and cover skillet
5 minCorn steams briefly under lid while preparing dressing.
-
05
Mix dressing with mayo, sour cream, onion, chiles, lime, and spice
4 minCan be made a day ahead and refrigerated.
-
06
Combine corn with dressing and mix well
3 minYou're looking for every kernel to get coated evenly in that creamy mixture—take your time and fold it together gently so the corn stays intact but picks up all the flavor and heat.
-
07
Fold in cilantro, Cotija, and tomatoes
2 minReserve some of each for garnish.
-
08
Garnish and serve warm or chill overnight
2 minFlavors develop more if chilled overnight.
From Mike's Notebook
Frozen corn works just fine — it actually releases less water and chars better than fresh.
Make the dressing a day ahead so the ACE KICKSTART® spices fully bloom into the mayo and sour cream.
Fold in cilantro and cotija at the end so they stay bright and don't get buried in the warm corn.