Mexican-style grilled corn, or elote, is another one of those food ideas that I read about for years before ever actually trying it. When I finally did take the plunge, slathering a freshly cooked cob of corn in mayonnaise and rolling it in salty cheese, I was hooked. This is now my favorite way to eat corn on the cob.
When planning a large gathering once, it occurred to me that maybe I could transform the idea into a salad. It works beautifully, with all the flavor of a traditional elote. It’s great for a crowd, but is also a great way to take fresh corn along to a party. If you don’t have the grill going, it is perfectly fine with just-boiled kernels.
Cotija cheese is a salty Mexican cheese you’ll find in with other Hispanic cheeses at most god groceries. If you don’t find cotija, queso fresco is a good substitute. I prefer to buy blocks and crumble it myself to get even chunks —TheRunawaySpoon
Using the ingredients in elote to make a salad is not new, but TheRunawaySpoon's version was unequivocally yummy, especially after letting it chill in the fridge for a couple of hours to let the flavors get acquainted (cumin, meet ancho; ancho, meet cumin). And - this is important to those of us who tend to wear our food - much, much neater to eat than from on the cob! One caveat: unable to procure cotija cheese here in upstate New York, we went with her recommendation to use quesa fresco; I would rather have used some parmesan or even ricotta salata. —wssmom
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