Step 1

Preheat your grill on medium to medium-high heat.

Step 2

Lay your husked corn on the grill and close the lid, but turn the ears frequently so that they develop lots of caramelized grill marks without getting burned or charred. This will take about 5-10 minutes.

Step 3

Remove the corn from the grill and allow it to cool until you can safely handle it. (You can also grill the corn several hours in advance or a day ahead, if needed, and store it in the refrigerator once cooled.) When the corn is cool enough to handle, carefully cut the kernels from the cobs with a sharp knife (this is my favorite chef's knife) or a handy "corn stripper."

Step 4

Place 4 cups of corn kernels in a medium bowl (reserve any extra kernels for another use). Add cilantro, green onions, lime juice, kosher salt, and chipotle chile pepper powder. Stir to combine thoroughly.

Step 5

Stir in most of the cotija cheese, reserving just a little (about 1-3 teaspoons) to sprinkle on top of the finished salad.

Step 6

Spoon corn mixture onto a shallow serving platter or bowl, in a relatively thin layer.

Step 7

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and water until smooth. Drizzle over the corn mixture. (As shown in the photo in the post above, I like to do this by pouring the dressing mixture into a zipper bag and snipping the corner of the zipper bag for drizzling. You can also simply drizzle the dressing onto the salad from a spoon.)

Step 8

Garnish the top of the salad by sprinkling it with the reserved cotija cheese, and (if desired) with a little extra chopped cilantro and sliced green onions.

Step 9

Serve immediately.