Have you got corn? Cut a corn cob in quarters, add choice seasonings, and grill up some incredible Mexican Street Corn Ribs.
Hi friends!
It’s August, and every roadside stand, flea market, and local grocery store will be stocked to the brim with an overabundance of corn on the cob for the next two months.
Or maybe you’re like my sister, who is sick and tired of canning corn and is ready to try something different.
What to do? What to do?
Make Mexican Street Corn Ribs!
What are corn ribs?
Using a simple knife-cutting technique, you can make ribs from corn on the cob. By cutting a cob into quarters, you now will have a more manageable piece of corn to eat!
How often have you made corn on the cob and thought the following?
- Where is that corn-holder thingymajig?
- Rats! I don’t have enough of those corn-holder thingymajig!
- Man! That’s a lot of corn right there; too big, I’ll pass!
- Hey! Quit hogging all that butter!
- Whoops! That corn cob slipped out of my fingers!
- I sure wish that I had a corn-holder thingymajig!
How do I make a corn rib?
You make corn ribs by using a simple knife-cutting technique. We don’t want anyone to cut off fingers, so be careful!
- The tip is to cut a corn cob in half and then trim the ends.
- Then, you’ll want to stand that corn cob and cut it down using a big knife. The best way is to tap-tap-tap the knife with your hand.
- Never ever put your hand underneath the knife – that’s just knife common sense! Slow and steady and wins the race!
That’s it!
Each “rib” curls on the grill and resembles a meat rib with a bone. Only in this case is the “bone” part of the rib the actual cob. Like a meat rib, you can use that part to hold on to and happily munch on corn to your heart’s delight!
Mexican Street Corn Ribs
If you’ve ever been to Longhorn Steakhouse or the county fair, you may have tried Mexican Street Corn.
Street Corn is corn on the cob smothered with a sauce of mayonnaise and sour cream mixture and miscellaneous Mexican-inspired spices such as cotija cheese, cilantro, and chilis.
A big bonus is that since you have a smaller surface of corn to grill, making corn ribs will be faster, and you will have a more even cooking of the corn.
So, in honor of traditional Mexican Street Corn, I present you with Mexican Street Corn Ribs!
Mexican Street Corn Ribs
Ingredients
- 4 Whole Corn Cobs
- 1/4 cup Sour Cream
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1/2 Lime, juiced and zested
- 1/2 tbsp Dried Cilantro
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 4 tbsp Butter, melted
- 1/4 cup Cotija Cheese
- 1 tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Cut corn cobs in half and trim the ends. With a large knife, quarter the cobs by cutting down the middle of each corn cob. You may want to put a cloth under your tablecloth so it doesn’t slip. Be sure to place your hands on top of the knife and tap, tap, tap to cut into slices.
- In a large bowl, make your sauce by mixing the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, lime juice and zest, dried cilantro, garlic powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add corn cobs to your sauce bowl and toss to coat evenly. You may want to add one at a time and toss in sauce with tongs.
- Heat the grill to 400-450 degrees. Place the corn cobs on the grill, kernel side down. Cook for 6-7 minutes or until you have the perfect amount of char to your liking! Fun fact: At about 2 minutes of grilling, you may hear a “pop” or “crackle” when the corn ribs curl.
- Remove from heat. Before serving, pour melted butter over corn cobs and toss with cotija cheese and chopped fresh cilantro.
Your turn!
It’s pretty enough to serve at your next BBQ outdoor grillin’ event or fancy enough to find its place on the Taco Night Platter. Dennis is WILD about these Mexican Street Corn Ribs, and he practically begged me to make it for this week’s potluck meal at church.
Either way, you’ll love this recipe, so print, pin, or bookmark for later!
Who’s in?
Eat well, my friends.
Lyndi
