Acquired Taste Learn To Love Cilantro

There are some things, it seems, the People (you know, with a capital P) will never agree upon. Bowties: Charming accessory for the well-dressed man, or cheesy hipster attire? Al Gore: Environmental activist and former vice-president, or shape-shifting reptilian humanoid? Cilantro: Magical flavor enhancer, or soapy-tasting, gag-inducing destroyer of tacos, bahn mi, and all other potentially delicious dishes?

If you're firmly rooted in the latter camp (on the cilantro front, that is), it's time to give the humble leaf of the coriander plant another shot. I know, I know, if you're a full-fledged cilantro-hater you'd probably rather be run down by a passing Mack truck than down a dish of the stuff, but trust me on this one—it can actually be kind of … well, delicious.

The explanation is all in the chemistry. Those offensive soapy flavors are produced by substances called aldehydes, explains Harold McGee, and research suggests that crushing the leaves—like, say, in a pesto?—allows enzymes to work their magic and make those retch-inducing aldehydes less pungent.

I was willing to give it a shot. I pick cilantro out of sandwiches and salads, avoid cilantro-packed guacamole, and slurp around it in pho—in other words, I'm a tried-and-true cilantro-phobe. But this cilantro pesto from Jeffrey Saad? I'd eat it by the spoonful. The olive oil and the cotija temper the strength of the cilantro, the pumpkin seeds add a nice crunch, and slathered on a hot ear of corn, it may just be the perfect summer meal—even for a cilantro-hater.

My intrepid bunch of taste testers repurposed the stuff to top pulled pork and found it to be a winner. If you don’t have good sweet corn, use it to punch up your carnitas, spoon it over shrimp skewers, or spread it on tilapia with a squeeze of lime. Or (because why the hell not?) just grab a spoon.

Grilled Corn with Cilantro Pesto
Recipe by Jeffrey Saad, chef and host of United Tastes of America

What you’ll need:
8 ears corn
2 cups cilantro, washed, large stems removed
¾ cup canola oil, plus ½ Tbsp
½ cup cotija cheese, grated, plus more for topping
2 tsp garlic, chopped
¼ cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1 tsp chile powder
¼ tsp kosher salt

How to make it:
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Toss the pumpkin seeds, ½ Tbsp canola oil, chile powder, and salt in a small bowl and stir to combine. Spread the seeds on a cookie sheet and roast for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. In a food processor, combine the cilantro, canola oil, roasted pumpkin seeds, cotija cheese, and garlic. Pulse until evenly combined but still chunky. Add salt to taste.
3. Peel the corn and place on a hot grill. Cook for ten minutes, turning every two minutes to ensure even cooking.
4. Using a pastry brush, liberally slather pesto on each ear of corn. Top with additional cotija. Serves 8.