Elotes Caesar Salad

Method

1. Char the corn. Grill or broil the ears close to the heat, turning, until spots blacken and the kernels are smoky-sweet, 8-10 minutes. That char is the "elote" soul of the dish. Cool slightly, then cut the kernels off.

2. Crisp the hominy. Pan-fry the drained hominy in a little oil over medium-high until golden and blistered, 5 minutes. It adds a toasty, corn-nut crunch that stands in for croutons.

3. Build the dressing. Blend or whisk the garlic, anchovies, jalapeño, egg yolk, lime juice, and Dijon, then stream in the olive oil to emulsify into a thick, creamy dressing. Whisk in the parmesan. The slow oil stream is what turns yolk and acid into a stable, clingy emulsion.

4. Toss. Combine the romaine with most of the corn, hominy, and dressing, tossing until every leaf is coated.

5. Finish with cotija, cilantro, and the reserved corn. Serve immediately so the romaine stays crisp.

Equipment

• Grill, grill pan, or broiler Recommended: Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Grill Pan
• Skillet Also good: Tramontina Professional 10-Inch Non Stick Frying Pan
• Blender or whisk and bowl Recommended: Ninja Professional Plus Blender

Chef Notes

• The most important thing: Really char the corn. Pale, steamed corn makes a flat salad — you want smoky, blistered kernels.
• Stream the oil slowly into the dressing base while whisking hard, or it will break. A blender makes this foolproof.
• Anchovies dissolve and read as savory depth, not fishiness — don't skip them (they're the backbone of Caesar).
• Dress just before serving. A dressed salad wilts within the hour.
• Cotija is salty and dry like a mild feta — crumble it on at the end so it doesn't disappear into the dressing.

Common Substitutions

Ingredient	Substitution	Notes
Cotija	Feta or parmesan	Feta is the closest salty, crumbly match
Hominy	Croutons or toasted chickpeas	For crunch; hominy adds the corn note
Anchovy	1 tsp Worcestershire	Keeps the umami; not vegetarian either
Raw egg yolk	2 tbsp mayonnaise	Safer and still creamy; skip the streaming step

What You're Practicing

Caesar dressing is a classic emulsion — you're forcing oil and water (lime juice, yolk) into a stable, creamy suspension by adding the oil slowly. Nail this and you can make aioli, mayonnaise, and vinaigrettes on command. Visit Vinaigrettes for the full breakdown of emulsified dressings.

You're also learning to build a composed salad — layering charred, crunchy, creamy, and fresh elements so every bite has contrast. That balance of texture and temperature is what separates a memorable salad from a bowl of leaves.