I experienced Mexican street corn for the first time at Mas Tacos, a little slice of Mexican food heaven in East Nashville. Wow. I was obsessed then and I remain obsessed, still. Be prepared when you go: they only take cash, it takes a while to get your food and there are not many seats. But, if you have an adventurous spirit, you will be blessed — yes, blessed — with some seriously tasty food. All the items I sampled from the menu stood out, but the winner, hands down, was the Mexican Street Corn.
So, what’s a girl with a can-do attitude and a fearless culinary spirit to do? Recreate the dish, of course.
My first two attempts did not go well. This is when I realized that I needed to scrap the American substitutes and go authentic for ingredients.
The Supermercado at 6321 Charlotte Pike provided exactly what I needed: crema (Mexican crème fraîche) and Cojita cheese (which is similar to the flavor of mild feta mixed with Parmesan, with the consistency of pizza Parmesan.) There are many types of crema to choose from, but I prefer the crema from Guatemala. And as an aside, while shopping, we picked up the best corn tortillas I have ever tasted: La Providencia brand – 36 for just $.99!
Mexican Street Corn Recipe
Ingredients (for six servings):
- 6 ears of corn
- Crema
- Cojita cheese
- Mexican chili powder
- Salt
- Limes
Directions:
Grill the corn, either directly on the grate or wrapped in foil, for about 10 minutes. (Grilling makes a difference, trust me.)
Use a BBQ sauce brush to coat the corn with crema. Next, roll it in the Cojita cheese and sprinkle with Mexican chili powder and a little salt. Then, squeeze the juice from half a lime over the corn and wrap it in foil. Eat.
Start with hot cooked corn, preferably grilled, but boil if you must.
Paint on some crema
Roll corn in cojita cheese
Sprinkle with some Mexican chili powder and salt. Squeeze fresh lime juice over each ear. For authenticity, wrap each ear in foil to serve.
If you want to cut off, that is fine. I’m thinking some chopped cilantro and fresh jalopenos might make a great addition when served this way. And butter. When does butter not make everything better?!
This corn makes an excellent pairing with Tortilla Soup. Or, for simplicity, cut up some heirloom tomatoes, sprinkle with sea salt and enjoy a perfect vegetarian meal.
Mas Tacos is located at 732 b Mcferrin Avenue in East Nashville. Open Tue-Fri 11am-4pm; Sat 11am-3pm.
Call (615) 543-6271 for more info.
