Grilling Corn Technique

 

Grilling Sweet Summer Corn

There is nothing like summer corn in season, especially my favorite New Jersey summer corn. That with some fresh Jersey tomatoes, and you have a meal. We mostly boil corn, smear butter, season with salt & pepper, and eat it off the cob.

But occasionally like to grill it, cut it off the cob, and use it in corn salsa, relish, salads, or as a side dish.  Grilling corn is easy. The trick is not to let it burn, so don't walk away from the grill once you start, at least not for too long. Here is a great way you might want to try it at home.

Grilled Corn

Ingredients:

• Corn on the cob
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil per ear of corn (or try butter if you prefer)
• Salt & Pepper

Prep the Grill & Corn

Gas Grill - Preheat the gas grill to high to get the grate hot. Once hot, lower to medium high heat.

Charcoal Grill - Get the coals started and heat up until gray or medium hot. Arrange them so they are in an even layer.

Prep the Corn—Strip the corn husk all the way back to the stem, but don't remove it. Remove all the silk to expose the corn kernels. Cover the corn's ear with oil using your hands or a pastry brush.

Cover with husk and tie the end with a little piece of kitchen twine or string to keep it closed. Repeat this process for each ear of corn.

Alternative = Some folks like to soak the corn cobs in water for about 15 minutes. I'm not sure why. Maybe it prevents the corn husks from charring, but I like the smoky flavor the charred husks add to the corn's flavor. If you want to soak them right after you remove the silk but before you cover them with oil.

2nd Alternative (Dad's Method): I remember my father doing it this way: Husk the corn and remove the silk. Season each ear with butter, salt, and pepper. Wrap each ear of corn in aluminum foil and cook on a hot grill for 15 to 30 minutes.

How to Grill Corn at Home

By now, your grill should be hot, so place each ear of corn on the grill rack and cook for about 15 minutes until the kernels are tender. You want to turn the corn occasionally so it cooks uniformly and doesn't burn. Expect the outside husk to turn black, but you don't want it to burst into flames.

When done, remove the corn from the grill and serve on a platter. Some might like to remove the husks before serving to prevent friends new to this cooking method from saying, "Hey, you burnt the corn! " but I like the presentation. Be sure to have some extra butter and salt and pepper on hand for additional seasoning.

To Remove the Corn from the Cob

If you are going to use the grilled corn in a salad or salsa, you have to remove it from the cob. An easy way to do this is to cut the stem end up to the bottom of each ear of corn after you have removed the husk. Be sure to cut the end straight so it will sit up nicely on the end and won't move around. With a paring knife, cut the kernels off from top to bottom.

Alternative = Try a corn cutter to take the kernels off the cob. All you have to do is slide the ear of corn down the cutter, and the blade cuts them off. The one in the photo is called the American Sliding Corn Cutter and you can find it at Amazon.com. You can find various styles of these machines at most kitchenware stores.

Another tool out there is the Corn Brush and Kernel Corn Kutter as pictured to the left. The brush is for removing the silk from the corn and then you push the corncob down the cutter's shallow metal through. The curved blade cuts whole kernels or you can adjust it so it tears the juice and soft meat from the kernels for creamed corn or corn pudding. You can also find this tool at Amazon.com.