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The Grilled Corn Salad Perfect for Your Labor Day Cookout

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A smoky grilled corn salad basted in brown butter and dressed with cob-milked chipotle-lime dressing — the labor day cookout side that won’t wilt in the heat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 ears corn, husked
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced, plus 1 tsp adobo sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling often, until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 4-5 minutes. Pour off and reserve 3 tablespoons for the dressing; keep the rest for basting.
  2. Heat a grill to medium-high. Brush the corn with brown butter and grill, rotating every 2 minutes and basting again, until evenly charred with a few darker spots, 10-12 minutes total. Let cool 5 minutes.
  3. Stand each cob in a wide bowl and cut the kernels off close to the cob. Then run the dull side of your knife down each cob to scrape the remaining pulp and milk into the bowl.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk the reserved brown butter, cob milk and pulp, mayonnaise, lime juice, chipotle, adobo sauce, and garlic until combined.
  5. Toss the warm corn kernels with the dressing while still hot. Fold in the cotija, cilantro, and scallions just before serving. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Serve warm or at room temperature; it holds well outdoors for a few hours.

Notes

Don’t skip scraping the cobs — that milky pulp is what makes the dressing creamy and corn-forward without a heavy mayo load, and it’s the reason this salad survives a hot buffet table. No grill? A screaming-hot cast-iron skillet works in batches. For a lighter, mayo-free version, swap in a spoonful of Greek yogurt. Keep extra chipotle on the side for guests who want more heat.

Find it online: https://www.receipster.com/the-grilled-corn-salad-perfect-for-your-labor-day-cookout/