I came up with a pretty delicious recipe for our latest wine club release. It’s a pork burger seasoned with fennel seed and rosemary, topped with tomato jam, garlic aioli and arugula. Carrie talked me into making it for our event this weekend. I was a little reluctant based on the amount of work I thought it would involve. Sad but true, she won. I did, however, get naming rights.
Thus was born the Notorious P.I.G. Burger.
The burger was settled, but there was still the matter of a side dish. I have a personal rule that I do not fry during the summer. French fries were out. A side of chips seemed boring. After all, if we’re going to make a fuss over the burger, shouldn’t the side dish get a little love too?
Somehow I landed on a Mexican corn salad inspired by elote. You know the stuff: grilled corn mixed with sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese, chilies and lime.
Then came the naming dilemma.
Those of you who have attended some of our paella lunches may remember the Bidi Bidi Bom Bom Salad. That’s our Mexican-inspired take on a Caesar salad. Which is funny because Caesar salad was actually invented in Mexico. We even made a pilgrimage to the restaurant in Tijuana where it was created. The name comes from one of my favorite Selena songs, where she sings about the sound of her beating heart whenever a certain fellow is nearby.
Naturally, my brain wandered back into the Spanish music aisle.
I recently stumbled across the classic folk song Cucurrucucú Paloma. “Cucurrucucú” is an onomatopoeia for the call of a mourning dove. It’s a beautiful song. It’s also a name that many of our guests would struggle to pronounce. For those curious about rolling your R’s, my high school Spanish teacher taught us, “Ruffles have ridges.”
Then there was Nunca Es Suficiente. Natalia Lafourcade’s voice floating over that driving cumbia beat has been stuck in my head for weeks. “Never Enough” is actually a pretty great name for a corn salad but it also happens to be a phrase that many Americans would struggle to pronounce after a glass or two of wine.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized I was overthinking the whole thing. Sometimes a Mexican corn salad can just be a Mexican corn salad. I made a batch last night and took it over to Holly’s for dinner. It was a hit.
So if you’re joining us this weekend, you have something to look forward to. And if you can’t make it, the recipe is below.
Mexican Corn Salad
Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
4 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)
1 tbsp olive oil
⅓ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
Juice of 1 lime
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ cup crumbled Cotija cheese
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add corn and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred.
Let corn cool for a few minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice and paprika.
Stir in corn, cheese and cilantro.
Josh Bendick
Co
