Elotes buenos

[Holly Moore]

I hope I have the name right. There is a Mexican street vendor delicacy that consists of a roasted ear of corn, lathered with mayonaise and rolled in queso fresco. At least I think that is how it's made.

A friend called me a couple of days ago. She had just stopped at Taqueria la Veracruzana and happened upon a lady who makes and sells Elotes.

I stopped by tonight, first at 5:30 and then at 7:00. The second time, along with ordering some Tacos Al Pastor, I asked about her. She wouldn't be there tonight, but she is there three or four nights a week, starting at 8:30 in the evening.

And she will be there tomorrow, Friday.

Edited August 30, 2004 by Holly Moore (log)

[caroline]

The name's right Holly. The corn cobs must be field corn not sweet corn, and preferably flour corn which is hard to come by in the US.

A favorite post afternoon meal snack in Mexico. I prefer them roasted not boiled with chile and lemon not mayonaise and queso. But it's a matter of taste,

Rachel

[CCaroleAnn]

I experienced something like this "dish" for the first time this past weekend at the Columbus Farmers Market in Columbus NJ. It was from a Spanish food vendor. They had a huge vat of boiling water with the sweet corn still in husks. As you would order it they would take it out of the water, husk it, put a stick in the cob, they rolled it in Miracle Wrip, then what looked like Parmesan cheese, sprinkled it with red pepper and a squeeze of lime. It was different but in a good way. I will say it was very hard to eat while shopping. But I would get it again. Oh and they charged $1.50 per ear, which I thought was a great price, until on my way home I bought a dozen ears of corn for $2.00.

Carole

[Holly Moore]

Today I connected with the elote lady.

The process is very similar to that described by CCaroleAnn.

The elote lady is sitting in front of the grocery store across the parking lot from Taqueria la Veracruzana. She takes a steamed ear of corn from a themos bag, holds it with a clean towel and pokes a wooden stick into the base. Then, after shucking the corn, she uses a spatula to slather on a healthy layer of mayonnaise or Miracle whip. Then she holds it over a container of grated cheese, and while rotating the ear of corn spoons the cheese over it. It tasted like Parmesan but I'm assuming it is a Mexican equivalent. Finally a liberal sprinkle of chili powder. No lime for me.

It tastes wonderful. I am sure it will be one of those dishes that years from now I will remember when and where I had my first elote.

And I know that when prepared from roasted corn it will be even better.

The elote lady is there every day but Thursday from 7 to 11 PM. The cost for an elote is two dollars.

[Furious Flav-or]

"Elote" is just the Mexican word for corn, an aboriginal inclusion into their Spanish. Otherwise, it's "maíz," and an ear is "una mazorca."

Anybody selling roasted peppers down there?

[Holly Moore]

Finally got my camera back to Nikon service. (Note to Holly, LCD screen, concrete and a 4 foot drop don't mix). Some pics showing the construction of an "elote."

Husking:

Mayonnaise:

The cheese - It is a grated Mexican hard cheese - Queso Cotija:

Chili Powder:

Ready to chomp:

[KatieLoeb]

This pisses me off only because I stopped by there not once but twice this weekend in search of the elusive elotes, but no cigar for me. It seems I was either too early, or they simply weren't ready yet either time.

Didn't stop me from having a Taco al Pastor and a freshly made Melon Aguafresca across the way at Taqueria Veracruzana though.

I was describing my dissappointment to one of the Mexican busboys that I work with. He said Elotes are more of a cold weather food and was surprised they were making them in the dead of summer. Who knew?

[Furious Flav-or]

Little-known secret:

Look for soccer games in South Philly on weekend mornings at places like the public league fields at 10th/11th and Bigler. There are almost always great tamales and elotes to be had, and some decent soccer to watch, as well.

However, no se habla inglés.

[caroline]

Hey Katie, I think the busboys would have associated elotes with cold weather because the peak time for the them in Mexico is in November or December when the fresh corn is ready. If that seems an odd time, it's planted in June/July when the rains have soaked the ground).

They're available all year though. Another popular coating is ground coconut. But to my mind the best by far are roasted and then eaten with chile and lime. Heaven.

Rachel

[KatieLoeb]

The elusive Elote Lady was finally tracked down and cornered this evening on my way home from the office. I tried a steaming hot one whose ear of corn had obviously just come out of the steamer across the way. It was quite tasty, although not the epiphany I may unjustifiably have been hoping for. Definitely ask for the chile powder and a squeeze of fresh lime.

[Holly Moore]

It was quite tasty, although not the epiphany I may unjustifiably have been hoping for.  Definitely ask for the chile powder and a squeeze of fresh lime.

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One person's epiphany is another person's just quite tasty.

I will admit I have been yearning for an elote for over a year, since I drove to Reading to try one only to discover the unnamed taco stand had stopped serving them the week before.

From experience I will also say that my first elote, which was later in the evening and had probably been sitting in the theros bag for a while was tastier than the just steamed, piping hot one.

[KatieLoeb]

One person's epiphany is another person's just quite tasty.

I will admit I have been yearning for an elote for over a year, since I drove to Reading to try one only to discover the unnamed taco stand had stopped serving them the week before.

From experience I will also say that my first elote, which was later in the evening and had probably been sitting in the theros bag for a while was tastier than the just steamed, piping hot one.

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I suppose if I'd been jonesing for something for an entire year then the entire experience might have been more satifying. I'd only just heard of elotes when you started the thread a couple of weeks ago, so there hasn't been nearly enough time to build up that head of steam on the craving.

I feel that I have a pastrami epiphany every time I get to Katz's Deli on my far too infrequent jaunts to NYC, and by then I've been jonesing for it since the last time several months prior. Your point is well taken.

[Sfuffy]

Lots of elotes vendors to be found yesterday at the Mexican Independence Day festival at Penn's Landing. Not to mention terrific tacos everywhere (except, curiously, at the Taqueria la Veracruzana stand).

[Holly Moore]

La senora de elotes is up and running again in front of the Mexican grocery store across the parking lot from Taqueria la Veracruzana.

Olé

[jmbrightman]

La senora de elotes  is up and running again in front of the Mexican grocery store across the parking lot from Taqueria la Veracruzana.

Olé

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that's a lotta mayo. did you request extra, or is that the normal slather?

[Holly Moore]

It's nice to find a place where one need not request extra mayo. What you see is the standard version and the mayo seems just right for the ideal mayo-corn-cheese ration.

[Mummer]

that's a lotta mayo.

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Hey, there isn't any butter on it!

[shacke]

that's a lotta mayo.

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Hey, there isn't any butter on it!

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That's the low fat version in the picture , silly!