August 1999
These messy but irresistible ears of corn coated with cheese are a popular street snack in Mexico. For our recipe we used cotija, a crumbly, pungent, aged-curd cheese that can range in consistency from soft to very hard, depending on the brand. (We made ours with Los Fortales, a hard variety available at cheese shops and some specialty foods shops.) You can, however, substitute feta, which is more widely available.
-
4
earns of corn in the husk
-
1/4
cup
mayonnaise
-
1/8
teaspoon
cayenne, or to taste
-
3/4
cup
shredded cotija or feta
-
Accompaniments:
lime wedges
-
Prepare grill.
-
Soak corn in husks in cold water 10 minutes. Drain corn and grill on a rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until husks are charred, about 10 minutes. Shuck corn and grill until kernels are browned in spots, about 10 minutes.
-
While corn is grilling, in a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise and cayenne. Using the small teardrop-shaped holes on a four-sided grater grate cotija.
-
Brush mayonnaise mixture onto hot corn and sprinkle with cojita.
-
Serve corn on the cob with lime wedges.
