Summertime Favorite - Corn on the grill

The weather is getting nicer which means its time to de-winterize the grill. One of my favorite things to grill is corn on the cob. The big reason for doing this is to lightly caramelize the sugars in the corn to enhance the sweetness without turning it to mush. There are 3 main ways of grilling corn and it really depends on personal preferances.

Cooing method 1 - Tin foil

Husk the corn, removing as much silk as possible and break off the stalk. Take a length of tin foil, place the corn in it and season with butter, salt and freshly ground pepper if desired. Roll the corn up in the foil and twist the ends, this will allow the corn to steam in the foil. Place over low direct heat for 15-20 minutes rotating every 5 minutes to prevent burning on any one side. The major advantages of this method is that the corn comes out seasoned and ready for people to unwrap and eat. It is easy to prepare in advance and does not require pre-soaking. Some people feel that cooking in the tin foil adds a slight metalic taste to the corn which may be unpleasant to some.

Cooking method 2 - In the husk

This method uses the actual husk of the corn to steam instead of foil. Also cooking directly in the husk adds a little smoky flavor from the husk cooking.

Pull the husk back slightly to remove as much silk as possible. Soak the ears in water for 15 minutes. Place the corn on direct heat rotating every 5 minutes to prevent burning on any one side. The husk will start to brown and potentially burn a little as well but that's just flavor being imparted to the corn. Cook for 15-20 minutes.

Cooking method 3 - Naked!

This method is best for really fresh corn, or for people who like the corn very lightly cooked. Pull the husk all the way back without removing it and place over direct heat rotating to prevent burning. This method will add the most caramelization to the corn and runs the greatest risk of burning. You can use the pulled back husk to turn the corn on the grill and it just looks cool sitting on the grill that way.

Personally I like to cook in the husk for a bit then placing on direct heat for caramelization. I like my corn nice and tender with a little char. Its hard to tell you how long to cook your corn. I do about 10-15 minutes in the husk and about 5 minutes out of the husk, I find this to be the best combination.