One of my favorite things about summer is fresh local corn. There is nothing that beats it. So for those two months of the year (July and August in our area) I look for any reason I can to use fresh corn.
Recently our friends, John W and Kathy H, invited us to a summer BBQ at their home. They are foodies like us and take cooking very seriously. John is an expert smoker and has been known to sleep outside to ensure that his overnight brisket turns out perfectly.
Knowing that smoked meats would be the star of this show, I thought a corn dip made with fresh corn would be a good starter.
In Mexico (and now in the United States as well), elote (Spanish for ‘corn on the cob’) is very popular. It’s often served on a stick or with a handle made from the corn husk and is slathered with a mayonnaise-cheese mixture. This dip is a deconstructed version.
I found wonderfully fresh corn within a mile of my office at Sugartown Strawberries in Malvern, Pennsylvania. Farmer Bob only sells corn that is picked that morning. When I got it home, I shucked it while Ed was heating up our gas grill. He grilled the corn along with some jalapeño peppers. Once cool, I took the corn off the cob with a paring knife, and removed the seeds from the jalapeño peppers before mincing them. If you don’t have access to fresh corn, I’d recommend frozen corn over canned corn. Just make sure you cook it first.
The rest is easy – mixing the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Be sure to use full fat versions of mayonnaise along with sour cream or plain Greek Yogurt. Low fat or nonfat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt may water down the dip.
I found it difficult to crumble the cotija cheese, so I used the medium side of a box grater and it worked perfectly. You could also use a medium microplane to grate the cheese. If you are unable to find cotija, you can substitute crumbled feta.
I served this dip with Tostitos Scoops but any hearty corn chip will work. You could also serve it with a hearty potato chip. The dip turned out delicious and was a hit at the BBQ.
Check out my recipe for Grilled Mexican Street Corn if you’d prefer to eat it right off the cob.
| Grilled Mexican Street Corn Dip | Print |
- 3 cups fresh corn kernels (4 corn cobs) (see Notes)
- 2 medium jalapeño peppers (see Notes)
- 3 tablespoons full fat mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons full fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Zest and juice from one small lime
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ cup crumbled or grated cotija cheese, divided (see Notes)
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, divided
- Serve with tortilla chips
- Preheat a gas grill on medium.
- Remove fresh corn from husks. Place corn and jalapeño peppers on the grill. Grill for about 10 minutes, turning frequently so all sides of the corn are slightly charred, and peppers are blistered and browned (they may take less time). Remove from heat and let cool.
- Once the corn is cool enough to handle, hold a corn cob upright in a medium bowl and remove kernels from the cob using a small paring knife. (Hopefully most of the corn goes into the bowl.)
- On a cutting board, cut off the tops of the jalapeño peppers. Cut lengthwise and remove seeds. Chop finely and add to the bowl with the corn.
- In a small bowl, stir mayonnaise, sour cream or Greek yogurt, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, chili powder and Kosher salt.
- Stir in half the cotija cheese and three quarters cilantro.
- Stir the mayonnaise mixture into the corn.
- Transfer to a flat serving bowl or small platter.
- Sprinkle the remaining cotija cheese and cilantro on top.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to serving. Can be prepared the day before serving.
- Serve with tortilla chips.
* If you’re not grilling the corn, it’s fine to simply mince fresh jalapeño peppers – you do not need to grill them.
* I found it difficult to crumble the cotija cheese, so I used the medium side of a box grater and it worked perfectly. I love my Cuisipro 4 Sided Box Grater– it’s by far the best box grater I have used. You could also use a medium microplane. If you are unable to find cotija, you can substitute crumbled feta.
Source: Variation of a recipe from FoodieCrush
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