by Rae Harp

Created on: May 15, 2008

Every Spring I long to bite into my first fresh ear of corn. I can hardly wait for the locally grown ears to start springing up from my garden at home or in the produce aisles at the markets. Of course, corn fresh from the garden is best in my eyes because I grew it with my own two hands but fresh corn from local markets and produce stands is equally as good. I avoid corn on the cob in the Winter and early Spring months because it just isn't as sweet.

When the corn reaches the kitchen, rinse them thoroughly and place them on paper towels. Place the extra ears not bound for the grill in the vegetable crisper for a future night. As for the corn in hand, strip the first layer of husks off the corn and trim the silks from the top of the cob and leave the stalk tip on the other end for a built in handle for rotating later on.

I tend to grill on a real wood fire but propane grills or charcoal will also work just fine. After the firewood has gone to coals, I begin grilling my meat selection. If I am grilling a thick meat such as beef or pork, I will wait to add the corn until the meat is at least half way cooked to preference.

Wrap the ears of corn in aluminum foil to prevent early scorching and place them on the coals, rotating every 5 minutes for even cooking. After approximately 20 minutes, take the corn out of the coals and unwrap the foil. Using a paper towel or clean lint free towel, hold the corn and strip the husks and silks from the ear of corn downward until they are just hanging off the end and all of the corn is exposed. Remove the silks leaving just the green husks still attached. Brush baste the corn with butter and give it a little salting. Place the ear of corn on the grill with the hanging husks on the outside of the grate for easy turning. Turn the ears frequently for about 10 minutes or until grill marks become apparent. Baste the ears of corn again with butter and then baste with your favorite BBQ sauce and return to the grill. Turn them frequently to avoid scorching and baste with butter and BBQ sauce until the ears are caramelized with the butter and sauce and they have a beautiful golden grilled color.

Remove the ears of corn by the husks and surround the grilled meats on the platter with the ears of corn for a fantastic display of your grilled fare. Wait until adequately cooled and take your first bite of grilled corn of the season. Ain't summer grand!

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