Roasting Corn on the Cob

[Anonymous]

So I'm going to try roasting corn on the grill tonight and have tried to find guidance on the internets but am a little overwhelmed. Can someone with experience help me out?

-- should I pre-soak the corn? It's pretty fresh, if that matters.
-- how do I husk it? Should I just peel and remove the silk, then re-cover with the husk? Should I remove the outer leaves of the husk? Should I tie the ends of the husk with string?
-- how long should I grill (on a gas grill)? Should I put it directly over the flames at the highest setting?
-- if the weather proves to be too much to grill tonight, what would be the equivalent of roasting it in the (electric) oven? Broil? Bake at 400? For how long?

I don't know that I've ever asked so many questions about corn. But thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

I grew up doing this every single summer. The only thing we did was wrap the whole thing (husk and all, right off the stalk, just trim down the bushy part) in foil and put it on the grill. If the grill wasn't up, we did the same thing and just popped it in the oven wrapped in foil at 400.

[Anonymous]

I use my FIL's technique of shucking the corn, brushing on some melted butter, adding herbs or just seasoned salt and then wrapping in foil. You can either then cook it on the upper rack of the grill and turn it (or on the not as hot part of the grill if you don't have a rack) or directly on the hotter part of the rack but turning it often so it doesn't burn.

I have cooked it in the husk, soaked and the above way tastes better to me and no hot corn to shuck!

Michael Bittman just had a Minimalist piece in the NYT about roasting corn on the grill to make it pretty brown and then serving it with a mayo, lime juice, chili powder spread. I'm trying that next!

[Anonymous]

Sorry, Mark Bittman.

[Anonymous]

This summer we've been shucking it entirely, brushing on some melted butter and grilling it right on the grill at medium for 10-12 mins.

Some (like Gene Weingarten) argue for the "cook in the husk" approach, but my understanding is that takes a lot longer, and plus I haven't wanted to deal with shucking the corn after it was cooked. I've heard soaking doesn't matter much one way or the other.

I don't think tinfoil is really necc. for either approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use my FIL's technique of shucking the corn, brushing on some melted butter, adding herbs or just seasoned salt and then wrapping in foil. You can either then cook it on the upper rack of the grill and turn it (or on the not as hot part of the grill if you don't have a rack) or directly on the hotter part of the rack but turning it often so it doesn't burn.

I have cooked it in the husk, soaked and the above way tastes better to me and no hot corn to shuck!

Michael Bittman just had a Minimalist piece in the NYT about roasting corn on the grill to make it pretty brown and then serving it with a mayo, lime juice, chili powder spread. I'm trying that next!

Something like this is pretty common in the South, my family had a big mix and would just dip the ears of corn in it after they came out of the grill. And a tub of melted butter.

I find it easier to remove everything after it's been cooked as opossed to before, but thats just me.

[Anonymous]

if you are cooking in the husk, soaking is supposed to keep the husk from burning.

I prefer to husk at leisure, add butter, wrap in foil.

[Anonymous]

We remove all but the last layer of husk, soak in water for 15 minutes and then grill turning every few minutes or so until the corn is nicely toasted. PP is right in saying that soaking the corn is only meant to keep it from turning into a fireball.

[Anonymous]

When I do it, I just pull the first layer or so of the husk off and the rest down, slather on room temp. unsalted butter, sprinkle on a little Zatarains Creole Seasoning, and parmesan cheese (it doesn't have to be the fancy kind). Then I pull the husk back up and toss em onto the grill. I never heard of soaking the corn before putting on, but then my philosophy about grilling is A) it's man's work (translation: I don't want to stand over a bunch of hot as coals thanks) and B) A little char makes everything taste better.