Today I enjoyed some of the most delicious corn-on-the-cob I’ve ever eaten. We hired Grove City Gardens of Blackfoot, Idaho to come by the Idaho Falls store and cook up some Mexican Roasted Corn for our customers today. It was not like anything I’d ever eaten before and was a big hit with everyone.

When I was told what they put on the corn I have to be honest, it sounded less than appetizing. The dried Mexican cheese, lime, and chili powder all sounded great, but when they said they slather the corn with mayonnaise they lost me. However, now that I’ve tried it, I’m sold.

Grove City Gardens has special roasters that they use to roast the corn before skewering the cob on a stick and adding the toppings. But you can cook it at home by either baking it in the oven or grilling it on the barbecue grill. I found this recipe on the Food Blogga blog on the internet. It sounds very similar to what we enjoyed today at the garden center.

Elote, or Mexican Grilled Corn
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 ears sweet corn
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper of chile powder
salt, to taste
2/3 cup crumbled cotija anejo cheese
lime wedges
extra cayenne pepper or chile powder, for sprinkling
fresh finely chopped cilantro for optional garnish

Directions
Soak corn (in husks) in cold water for 25-30 minutes.

Prepare a medium-hot grill. Peel back the corn husks leaving them attached at the end. Remove the silk. Pull the husks back up and tie with a spare piece of husk or a small piece of cooking twine. Place the ears on the grill. Cook 20-25 minutes, turning several times to ensure even roasting. The kernels should be soft when fully cooked.

If you’d like the kernels more charred, then simply follow the above instructions, but cook in husks for 15 minutes only. Then cool ears slightly, pull back the husks (to use as handles) and place the ears directly on the grill (with husks overhanging the side) for 5-7 minutes, or until they reach desired level of charring.

Place crumbled cheese on a plate large enough to fit an ear of corn. In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise, lime juice, cayenne pepper or chile powder, and salt. When the corn is cooked, brush each ear with some mayo sauce then roll in the cheese. Serve with lime wedges, additional cayenne pepper or chile powder, and fresh finely chopped cilantro.

** Cotija anejo, a mild-flavored Mexican cheese with a crumbly texture, can be found in Mexican markets or in the refrigerator section of most major supermarkets. Queso fresco, another mild Mexican cheese, is a good substitute and also can be found in most major supermarkets.

Note: If you are unable to grill outdoors, then you can oven roast the corn. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place corn in husks (no need to soak first) directly on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes, or until corn is soft to the touch. Allow to cool slightly, then remove husks and silks, and add toppings.