Ed and I recently enjoyed a great early dinner at Tired Hands Brewing Company’s Fermenteria in Ardmore, PA before heading to the Mann Music Center to see Bob Dylan. Not only is the beer at Tired Hands great but so are their tacos. I had been once before and I had been thinking about their Brussels sprouts tacos (yes, I said Brussels sprouts) ever since. I was sad to see that they were not on the current taco rotation but we did enjoy both barbacoa (beef) and crab tacos.
While we were there I noticed a couple at a nearby table chowing down on some Mexican street corn. It was messy but they didn’t seem to mind. This memory stayed with me so when I saw the first summer corn at our local farmers market I thought I’d give it a try.
Called “elote” in Spanish, Mexican street corn is often served on a stick or a handle fashioned from the husk. It’s grilled corn rolled in “cream” (Mexican sour cream, sour cream or mayo) and topped with crumbled cheese, cilantro and a dash of chili powder. I went for a more slightly healthy version made with a lime and yogurt sauce. I couldn’t find the traditional Mexican cotija cheese so I used feta instead as the flavors are quite similar. Top it with a sprinkle of your favorite chili powder for both flavor and color. I prefer to use ancho chile as it has flavor with less heat – use chipotle if you want a bit more spice.
While I didn’t try Tired Hands’ version I will say that I was quite happy with the end result. Make sure you have a few extra napkins on hand.
If you’re in the Philadelphia area I highly recommend visiting Tired Hands. Note that they have two locations (both in Ardmore) – a smaller brew cafe and larger Fermentaria where their beer is also brewed. The food menus are different at each of their two locations.
| Grilled Mexican Street Corn | Print |
- 8 ears of sweet corn, husked
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
- 6 ounces plain fat-free Greek yogurt
- Juice and zest from one lime
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- Good quality sea salt
- 4 ounces Cotija or feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Dash of ancho or chipotle chili powder
- Place yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in lime juice and zest, garlic clove and a small pinch of salt.
- Lightly cover husked corn with olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Prepare a gas grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F).
- Grill corn over direct medium heat (all burners on), with the lid closed as much as possible, until corn is browned in spots and tender, 12 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally.
- Remove corn to a plate. Roll corn (or brush) in yogurt sauce. Top each ear with crumbled cheese, a sprinkle of cilantro and a dash of chili powder.
- Serve immediately.
* Yogurt mixture can be made up to two hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate.
This corn looks amazing! And I love the idea of brussel sprout tacos- I recently became addicted to roasted cauliflower tacos at a new restaurant nearby. They have a bit of curry spice in them and are so yummy! Pinning your corn recipe now!!!
Linda – We certainly weren’t eating Brussels sprout or cauliflower tacos back in our California days! The cauliflower ones sound wonderful. You live in the heat of good corn territory (my sister-in-law recently moved to Texas and is missing NJ corn!) so I know if you make this it will be good.
Luckily, crema and cotija are both readily available to me, so I will be trying this soon!
David – Yes, this recipe was made for you! You could probably even find it for sale on a street some place near by!
We probably could find it, but I don’t think it’s as good as yours!
David – Very sweet of you!