Esquites (Mexican Street Corn)
Charred corn kernels tossed with lime, chile, cheese, and mayo — the cup version of elote. Costa Rica grows great corn, so this street-food favorite is right at home.
Ingredients
- 4 cupscorn kernels
- 2 tbspbutter or oil
- 1/4 cupmayonnaise
- 1/2 cupfresh cheese (crumbled)
- 1 lime (juiced)
- 1 tspchili powder
- 1/4 cupcilantro
- salt (to taste)
Instructions
- 1
Char the corn: cook the kernels in a dry or lightly oiled hot pan, undisturbed, until they blister and brown in spots.
- 2
Off the heat, stir in the butter, then the mayonnaise, lime juice, and chili powder.
- 3
Fold in the cheese and cilantro and season with salt.
- 4
Serve warm in cups or bowls, with extra chile and lime on the side.
Notes
Fresh corn chars best, but frozen works — just dry it well first. For elote, leave the cobs whole and slather the same toppings on. Queso fresco is a great Tico stand-in for cotija. Photo: Adobe Stock (#270726719), licensed.
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Mexican Brunch
A lazy weekend brunch where one sauce does double duty. Make the salsa roja first — it is the simmering bath for the chilaquiles, so the chips go in only at the very end to stay just-softened, never soggy. Char the corn for the esquites while the salsa cooks. Top the chilaquiles with egg and cheese and serve everything at once, hot. Tepache ferments 2-3 days at room temperature — start it a few days ahead of brunch.
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