Charred Elote with Cotija-Lime Crema

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Sweet corn cobs blistered over a hot grill (or under the broiler), then rolled in a tangy mayo-and-crema mix loaded with cotija, lime and chili. The smoky char is the whole point — you want blackened kernels next to juicy ones. A cut-off-the-cob esquites variation is included for weeknights when you'd rather eat it with a spoon.

Ingredients

• 4 ears fresh sweet corn, husked and silk removed
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or avocado

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Mexican crema (or sour cream thinned with 1 tsp water)
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon lime zest, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or ancho chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 3/4 cup cotija cheese, finely crumbled or grated
• 1 teaspoon Tajín or chili-lime seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or ground chile de árbol, optional
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons finely diced white onion
• 1 serrano or jalapeño chile, seeded and minced
• 1/4 teaspoon epazote or dried oregano, optional

Instructions

1. Make the crema: in a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, crema, grated garlic, lime zest, lime juice, chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt until smooth. Refrigerate until needed — it can be made up to 3 days ahead.
2. Put 1/2 cup of the cotija on a plate or in a wide shallow dish and stir the Tajín and optional cayenne into it. Reserve the remaining 1/4 cup cotija for finishing.
3. Grill method: heat a gas grill to high (about 500°F) or build a hot charcoal fire and let the coals burn to a light gray ash. Brush the corn all over with the neutral oil.
4. Grill the corn directly over the fire, uncovered, turning every 2 minutes with tongs, for 8 to 12 minutes total, until roughly a third of the kernels are deeply blackened and the rest are glossy and bright yellow. You want spotty char, not evenly cooked corn — if a few kernels pop and hiss, that's right.
5. Broiler method (no grill): position an oven rack 4 inches below the broiler and preheat on high for 5 minutes. Oil the corn, set it on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, and broil 10 to 14 minutes, turning every 3 minutes, until well blistered in patches. For extra smoke, finish each ear directly over a gas burner flame for 30 seconds a side.
6. Let the corn rest 2 minutes so it's handleable. Using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon, coat each ear generously on all sides with the cotija-lime crema — about 2 tablespoons per ear.
7. Roll each ear in the Tajín-spiked cotija, pressing so the cheese sticks in a thick crust. Transfer to a platter, shower with the reserved cotija and the cilantro, and serve immediately with lime wedges and plenty of napkins. Skewering a wooden stick or corn holder into the stem end makes them easier to eat.
8. ESQUITES VARIATION (weeknight, off the cob): char the corn as above, or skip the grill and use 4 cups fresh or frozen (thawed and patted very dry) kernels. Stand each cooked ear in a wide bowl and cut the kernels off with a chef's knife, then scrape the cob with the back of the knife to release the milky juices.
9. Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the white onion and minced chile and cook 2 minutes until softened. Add the corn kernels (and the epazote or oregano) and cook, stirring only every 45 seconds so the kernels catch color, for 5 to 7 minutes — 8 to 10 minutes if using raw frozen kernels, until browned in spots and any moisture has cooked off.
10. Off the heat, stir in all of the cotija-lime crema plus 1/2 cup of the cotija and the cilantro. Taste and add salt and lime juice as needed. Spoon into cups or bowls, top with the remaining cotija and a dusting of Tajín, and serve warm with a spoon and a lime wedge.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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