Guacamole with Charred Sweet Corn, Bacon and Tomato Recipe

1. Set the oven to 400 degrees F for cooking the bacon. Preheat the grill to medium-high (about 400 degrees F) as well.

Corn and Bacon:

1. Place the ears of corn in a large bowl and add enough cold water to the bowl to submerge them. Let the ears soak for 15 minutes.

2. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil, and set a baking rack on top of it. Arrange the slices of bacon on the baking rack.

3. Bake the bacon for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, flip the bacon over and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, or until the bacon is slightly crisp. The bacon should have a little chew left to it, but shouldn’t be floppy once cooled.

4. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain and cool. Once the bacon is cool enough to handle, crumble it into small ½-inch sized pieces.

5. After soaking the corn, steam them on the grill, still in their husks, for 15 minutes.

6. Peel back the husks and char the ears of corn on the grill for another 5 to 6 minutes, or until the corn begins to pop and take on a dark brown color.

7. After the corn has charred, remove the ears from the grill and set them aside until cool enough to handle.

8. First, set a small inverted bowl inside a larger mixing bowl. To prevent the smaller bowl from moving while cutting the kernels off the cob, set it on top of a couple of the steamed husks.

9. Rest the tip of the corn cob on the inverted bowl and use a knife to cut away the kernels. Allow the kernels to cool completely while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Tomato:

1. Slice the tomatoes in half. Press into the tomato halves with a thumb to remove some of the seeds and juice. This prevents the guacamole from becoming watery.

2. Place the cut tomatoes and the crumbled bacon into the mixing bowl with the cooled corn kernels.

Guacamole:

1. In a separate bowl, mash the avocado slightly with a fork or potato masher. Stir in the lime juice, then add the mashed avocado to the bowl with the corn, bacon, and tomatoes.

2. Fold the guacamole ingredients together until well-blended. Season with the salt, then cover the guacamole with plastic wrap pressed directly onto its surface.

3. Refrigerate the guacamole for 15 minutes to give the flavors a chance to blend before serving.

4. Just before serving, taste the guacamole and add more salt, if needed. Garnish the dip with the crumbled cotija cheese and serve with warm tortilla chips.

5. Keep leftover guacamole covered with plastic wrap and/or a lid in the refrigerator. Leftovers are good for up to three days.