Recipe: Esquites with Marrow
A touch of decadence in a single-serving cup, these esquites with bone marrow are a reminder that Mexican street food doesn’t always need to be minimal or pure – it can also be fun, a little wild and exactly what you want when the day gets too serious.
In Mexico, street snacks often flirt with chaos. Think corn chips topped with pickled pork skin, gummy bears, lime, hot sauce, chilli powder and instant noodles. There’s a joyfully unhinged genre of eating here – playful, messy and unconcerned with restraint. These esquites with bone marrow don’t go quite that far, but they stroll confidently in the same direction.
Esquites, a beloved Mexican street food dish, are traditionally simple: corn simmered with epazote – a fragrant herb whose flavour suggests oregano, anise, citrus and mint – plus onion, lime and chilli. Epazote can look wilted when found in markets, as it loses structure quickly after harvest, but this has no impact on its distinctive taste.
In mercados across Mexico, esquites are typically served in small cups as an everyday street snack. This version keeps the classic base intact while adding roasted beef bone marrow, pushing the dish into deeper, silkier territory. The broth becomes richer, the texture more luxurious. Finished with mayonnaise, Cotija cheese and powdered chilli – as custom demands – the line between snack and indulgence begins to blur.
Ingredients Serves: 6
- 6 guajillo chillies, soaked and drained
- 2 tsp of vegetable oil
- ½ small white onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 5 ears of fresh yellow corn
- 3 sprigs of epazote, chopped
- 1 small piece of beef bone marrow
- 1L water
- ½ tsp of salt
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 fresh lime, juiced
- 1 tbsp of mayonnaise
- 30g Cotija cheese, crumbled
- ½ tsp of chilli powder
Instructions
Step 1 / 9
Soak the guajillo chillies in hot water for 20–30 minutes to rehydrate before use, removing them when they become pliable.
Step 2 / 9
In a large pan, add oil and sauté half of the onion and half of your garlic until softened and fragrant.
Step 3 / 9
Remove the corn kernels from the cob, add them to the pan and let them sizzle for a few minutes, then stir in the epazote sprigs before adding in the bone marrow, water and salt and leave it to simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes.
Step 4 / 9
Optionally, if you have access to a hot grill, you can char each cob for a few minutes before removing the kernels, as this will add a very welcome smoky taste to your esquites.
Step 5 / 9
As the corn is simmering, place the tomatoes, remaining onion, garlic and guajillos under a hot grill until lightly charred.
Step 6 / 9
Add the charred tomatoes, onion, garlic and guajillos to a blender and blitz everything together before straining the mixture.
Step 7 / 9
Add the strained tomato mix into the corn and cook over medium heat for another 10 minutes.
Step 8 / 9
Remove the marrow bone and scoop out the marrow before stirring it into the corn and leaving it to simmer for another 5 minutes.
Step 9 / 9
Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime, a dash of mayonnaise, a crumbling of Cotija cheese and a dusting of chilli powder.
This recipe is taken from ‘El Bajío: Recipes & Wanderings Through Mexico’s Heartland,’ the fourth cookbook in the collaborative series between Belmond and Apartamento. Read more about the publication or purchase a copy on the Apartamento website.
A CULINARY ESCAPE TO MEXICO
A collection of historic casas in the heart of San Miguel de Allende, Casa de Sierra Nevada invites you to discover vibrant Mexican culture as you connect with local nature, art and gastronomy.
Within our hotel, master the art of the Mexican kitchen at Sazón cooking school, from the best enchiladas recipe to authentic sauces and salsas. Follow our experts into the kitchen of our magnificent 18th-century mansion and learn the secret to creating bold and authentic regional flavors with authentic Mexican recipes.
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