Fresh corn on the cob sure looks tasty when it has golden marks from the grill tattooed across each kernel. But take a bite and all to often you’ll get a mouth full of tough little dried-out nuggets sticking to and between all of your teeth. Don’t ruin a defenseless cob of fresh corn by shucking and throwing it on the grill au naturel. Follow a few simple rules and you’ll be wiping your cheeks free of the juicy goodness bursting from your barbecued corn on the cob.
The first step is to soak your cobs in water for 20 minutes before cooking. This helps them steam while cooking, producing plump, juicy kernels. Next, pull down the husks, but careful not to tear them off. Drizzle the corn with olive oil, salt, pepper and chili pepper. Pull the husks back up and tie together with kitchen twine. Now you’re ready to grill.
Cook the corn on medium heat for about 12 minutes, turning every so often. The husks will get black and ashy. Tear the husks off and turn the heat up to high. Cook the corn for one more minute to get the coveted grill marks and smokey flavor, and serve.
There you go – juicy, golden corn right from the grill. Try it this way once and I guarantee you’ll never go back to throwing naked kernels on an open fire.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
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Vernon recently grilled fresh corn after consulting the America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook. They gave the same advice you did, minus the strings and seasonings. Chili pepper sounds like an excellent addition.
Thanks for this.
I am so glad you posted this. We had a grilled corn disaster last summer, with flaming ears and all. Now I see so many mistakes we made… Thank you!
No problem! I have definitely had my fair share of corn disasters before figuring this out. Let me know if it works for you.
Thank you for the info! I love corn.