hot bacon elotes
Everything is better with (tofu) bacon.
Ingredients
- 6 yellow corn cobs, shucked but green husk still attached
- 1/3 cup vegan or regular mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup cotija cheese, crumbled (or use feta)
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
- fresh basil or cilantro, for serving
hot bacon dressing
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 strips 4 strips tofu or regular bacon, crumbled (see note)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp hot honey (see note)
Instructions
- In a small skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil. Stir in the bacon and garlic for 1 minute, then add the apple cider vinegar, dijon, hot honey, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer 2-3 minutes until combined. Remove from heat.
- When peeling your corn, be sure the little corn hairs are all removed, but keep the green husk in tact as best you can. You can peel off a few strips to use as ties, as you see in the photo. This is purely stylistic - if you can't be assed to do this part, you can remove them completely.
- Heat your grill or grill pan over medium high. Working in batches as needed, set the cobs on the grates and grill 10-12 minutes, turning every 2 minutes or so, until deeply charred in spots. Transfer to a large serving plate.
- In a bowl, stir together the mayo, cotija, lime juice, chipotle chili powder, and a pinch of salt.
- Slather the corn cobs with the cotija mixture, then generously drizzle hot bacon dressing atop. Finish with fresh cilantro or basil and an extra squeeze of lime juice.
Notes
*Hot honey: To make the hot honey: combine 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup hot sauce, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon each garlic and onion powders, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes in a microwave-safe jar or glass. Heat 1 minute on high. Stir, then zap an additional 20-30 seconds until the granules dissolve. Leftover hot honey will keep up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
*Tofu bacon:
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Drain and press a block of extra firm tofu to remove excess water for about 5-10 minutes. I make a homemade press by placing paper towels on a large plate, then the tofu, then more towels, another plate, and a skillet.
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees and lightly grease a large baking sheet. Slice the tofu very thin (as thin as you can without breaking it) and place onto the baking sheet.
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In a small bowl, whisk 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp chili powder, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Pour over the tofu and, using a basting brush, coat each slice. Flip, and brush the sauce over the opposite side. Let sit while the oven heats.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through baking time. Let cool on the baking sheet: the tofu will continue to crisp up.