Elote Ribs Recipe
roasted corn, chipotle aioli, cotija cheese, Tajín, cilantro, lime
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Ingredients
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Ribs
Roasted Corn Topping (Elote-style)
Finish & Garnish
Method
Ribs
- 1
Prep ribs
Preheat oven to 275°F (135°C). Pat ribs dry with paper towels and remove the membrane from the bone side if still attached.
- 2
Make rub
In a small bowl combine kosher salt, smoked paprika, black pepper, garlic powder and brown sugar. Rub olive oil over both sides of the ribs, then massage the dry rub evenly over both sides. Let rest for 15–30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate up to 2 hours.
- 3
Roast
Place ribs bone-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet or in a roasting pan. Pour apple cider vinegar into the pan (not over the rub) to create steam during cooking. Tightly tent the ribs with foil. Roast in the preheated oven for 2.5–3 hours, until the meat is tender and pulls back from the bones but not yet falling completely apart.
- 4
Roasted Corn Topping (Elote-style)
- 5
Roast kernels
In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, melt the butter with 1 tsp olive oil. Add the corn kernels in an even layer and let cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and some kernels develop charred spots, about 6–8 minutes total.
- 6
Make chipotle aioli
While corn is browning, in a small bowl combine mayonnaise, sour cream (or crema), chopped chipotle in adobo, lime juice, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Stir until smooth and taste; adjust for more heat or acidity by adding another 1/2 tsp chipotle or a squeeze more lime if desired.
- 7
Combine and season
When corn is browned, remove from heat and immediately fold in the chipotle aioli so the warm corn absorbs flavor. Stir in crumbled cotija (reserve some for finishing), chopped cilantro and 1 tsp Tajín. Taste and adjust salt, pepper or Tajín as needed.
Assembly & Serve
- 8
Slice ribs
Transfer roasted ribs to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Slice between bones into individual portions (or leave whole if preferred).
- 9
Top ribs
Spoon a generous mound of the warm elote-style roasted corn over each rib portion. Sprinkle extra crumbled cotija and a light dusting of Tajín over the top. Scatter chopped cilantro and arrange lime wedges on the plate.
- 10
Serve
Serve immediately while ribs are warm. Squeeze lime over each portion before eating. Leftover corn topping can be refrigerated up to 3 days.