Mexican-Style Grilled Corn

1. Prepare the grill

Start by preparing your grill. For a charcoal grill, fill your chimney starter with 6 quarts of charcoal briquettes and light them. Once the briquettes are hot, pour them over one side of the grill. Place your cooking grate on top, cover the grill, and open the lid vent completely. This should take about 5 minutes. If you're using a gas grill, turn all burners to high, cover, and let it heat until it's very hot, which should take about 15 minutes.

2. Prepare the cheese mixture

In a large bowl, combine the grated Pecorino Romano cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, minced cilantro, lime juice, minced garlic, 0.25 teaspoons of the chili powder, black pepper, and if you like a bit of heat, the optional cayenne pepper. Mix everything together until well blended and set aside.

3. Season the corn

In a separate large bowl, mix the vegetable oil, salt, and the remaining 0.5 teaspoons of chili powder. Add the corn to this bowl and toss it well to ensure each ear is evenly coated with the oil mixture.

4. Grill the corn

Once your grill is ready, clean and oil the cooking grate to prevent the corn from sticking. Place the corn directly on the hot side of the charcoal grill or on the gas grill and cover. Grill the corn for 7 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure it is evenly charred on all sides.

5. Coat the corn

When the corn is perfectly grilled, remove it from the grill and place it in the bowl with the cheese mixture. Toss the corn thoroughly in the mixture, making sure each ear is well coated.

6. Serve

Serve the charred Mexican street corn immediately while it's still hot, and enjoy the delightful combination of smoky, savory, and tangy flavors.