Of course this from the man who literally eats EVERYTHING but beets and cottage cheese. There’s a great story about him eating yogurt one time. Mom had told him there were several containers of yogurt that needed to be eaten in the fridge, so he took advantage of that for lunch one day. She got home and was hurriedly putting dinner together when she couldn’t find the sour cream, but saw that the yogurt was still in the fridge. Yep, you guessed it. She checked the trash can to find the sour cream container. He had eaten a container of sour cream thinking it was yogurt. When Mom said something to him about it he said, “Yeah, I was going to tell you to throw that other yogurt out because the one I had today had spoiled!” We always joke with him that 40 years as a mechanic and being around all the chemicals has ruined his taste buds. But anyway, back to corn…
He loves it. And I do too. Just maybe not quite as much as him.
Regardless, fresh corn is one of those things that takes a little time and effort. The husking and de-silking alone deters most people from serving the fresh variety and going the frozen route. But my grilled corn makes it pretty darn easy, if I do say so myself. Grilling the unshucked corn for about 12 minutes makes it super easy to shuck and the silks just pull right off. I also love the flavor of the corn when it’s cooked in the husks. Let me show you how I do it…
Start by filling a clean sink with cool water and soak the unshucked corn in the water for about 15 minutes. This helps keep the husks from burning and adds some moisture because the first part of cooking it on the grill basically steams it right in the husks.
Preheat the gill to medium and place the corn on. Cook for 6 minutes with the lid closed, then turn and cook it for an additional 6 minutes.
Remove the corn from the grill and allow it to cool enough to handle it. Peel the husks back and pull the silks away. This should be pretty easy. If the silks prove to be troublesome, a soft-bristled brush will help. You can pull the husks off completely, but I love leaving them on. I think it looks really neat and it gives you a super convenient handle for eating! The corn is basically done at this point, but I like to get a little char on it. So I increase the grill temp to high and put the corn back on there for a few minutes on each side to add that grilled flavor. Just be cautious to keep the husks away from the flame if you do leave them on because they’re dry at this point and will burn. I usually just hang them over the outside edge of the grill. Once that’s done, drizzle them with butter, sprinkle them with salt and get to work.
Recipe Card
Amazingly Easy Grilled Corn
Ingredients
- 6 ears fresh corn
- melted butter
- salt
Instructions
- Fill a clean sink with water and soak the unshucked corn in the water for 15 minutes. You can use a dinner plate to hold them down if you wish. Drain the water and shake off the excess water.
- Heat the grill to medium and and place the unshucked corn on the grill. Grill (with the lid closed) for about 6 minutes. Flip and grill for another 6 minutes. Remove the corn and allow it to cool enough to handle.
- Shuck the corn and remove the silks. This should be super easy now. I like to pull the husks back and leave them on. It looks cool and creates a neat handle, but feel free to remove them completely. If you want a little char on the outside, return the corn to the grill over medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. If you do leave the husks on, be sure to hang them outside of the grill because they will catch on fire.
- Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately.
Please note:
If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Hi, sounds delish! What temp 4 grill and approx. How long till death valley kahki? Ill have to look that one up. Tnx man, soinds delish!
That story about your dad has me in stitches! It is hilarious and adorable. Family lore is just the best thing in the world.
Ha! I love telling that story!
I’ve been baking/grilling unshucked corn for decades. I cut the tips off with a large knife right where the kernels start, then cut the tail off where the ear ends. I remove only the “guard” leaves, the ones with right-angle tips. Then the ear goes into the oven at 350 degrees F. or on the grill. NO SOAKING! Soaking dilutes the natural sugars. When the husks are “Death Valley khaki”, the corn is done. Pull back the husk and fold it over itself to make a handle. Commercially, I would have a tall stainless pot with a pound of melted butter floating. Dip the corn, pulling up slowly. Customers gladly pay $3.00 for corn this good.
Great ideas!!