Grilled Corn on the Cob

It's officially grilling season at our house... and it has been for about a month now. Ever since the weather warmed up enough to wear flip flops (re: when it got to 50F), the grill has been getting its exercise. Personally, I think that one of the best things to grill is corn. It's easy and super delicious and it screams, "SUMMER!" which makes me happy. Plus, it's so pretty.

Once corn season arrives, my supermarket offers it two ways: either in bulk, right in the husk like it was freshly plucked off the stalk, or trimmed and peeled in a styrofoam tray, wrapped in plastic wrap. Too often, I see people grabbing the trimmed package and I just shake my head in disappointment. Sure, the trimmed package is easy because you don't have to deal with the annoying hairy silk but the corn husk is such a great "tool" for cooking the corn. When the corn is fresh, the husk still has moisture in it and it helps to steam the corn. It makes the corn super yummy and juicy. Plus, the corn in bulk is cheaper because less labor went into processing it. Another point to husky corn!

I'd say the only downside to eating corn on the cob is that it gets caught in your teeth. My sister and I always quote a bit from 30 Rock where Liz Lemon has corn in her teeth.
"What's in your teeth?"
"Corn!"
But hey, that's a price I'm willing to pay for a bit of good food.


Ingredients:
corn in the husk
+ butter
+ salt & pepper

Flavoring ideas:
+ lime juice & chili powder
+ cayenne pepper
+ old bay seasoning
+ crumbled cheese - queso fresco, blue cheese, feta
+ barbecue sauce
+ sour cream & chives
+ honey
+ fresh cilantro & jalapeño
+ garlic & parmesan
+ rendered bacon fat and crispy bacon bits
+ smoked salt
+ pancetta and basil

Start by peeling the outer layers of the husk off of the corn. Leave two or three layers though! You want the corn to still be enveloped completely. By the way, let's say you don't have access to "husky corn." Just wrap up the corn cobs in some aluminum foil; tada!

Chuck the corn onto a hot grill, close the lid, and leave alone. If you like still slightly raw, go for a 5 minute cooking time. For a half crunchy version, cook for about 10 minutes. For a fully cooked version, cook for 15 minutes.

While the corn is going, you could also season up a few steaks to throw on the grill too. These are delicious ribeye steaks, massaged with olive oil and sprinkled with Montreal steak seasoning.

If you want a bit of char on your corn, you can certainly peel off the husk and let it sit on the grill for a minute or two until a few of the kernels get a good tan.

Whether you char the corn or not, you should definitely peel the husks and get rid of the silk before you serve this to your guests.

And at this point, the seasoning choice is up to you and your fellow diners. I went with the ol' classic, pats of butter. But you can be creative. I gave you a whole list of suggestions up above if you need some inspiration.

Oh, and after the pats of butter melted, I generously sprinkled these bad boys with coarse salt and pepper. And then, I ate until my teeth were stuck full of corn. Such a simple recipe - it's just corn - but it's incredible.

By the way, if you aren't in the mood for getting corn stuck all up in your grill, you can always slice the kernels off of the cob.

Here's the recipe page: