What is the best way to roast, or cook, corn over a wood fire? I have a small grille outside. Should I parboil the ears first? Wrap them in foil?
I’m counting on Doper experience to help, as I’ve never tried this before. It sure isn’t like doing a hotdog or a marshmallow.
I frequently grill corn on the cob. First I soak the corn in the sink for about 15 minutes just to make sure the husk is nice and moist. Then I pull the husk back (not off) and put butter on the corn - I usually use a seasoned butter that will complement whatever else I’m cooking on the grill. Replace the husk, it won’t wrap as tight as before but that’s ok, and place over a medium heat. I cook it for about 10 minutes rotating about every 2. The husk will char and blacken but it won’t burn.
On the Fourth I prepared the coals and the rib eyes, and my friend prepared the corn. She removed the husks and wrapped them in foil. When the coals were ready I put the corn on the grill, but not over the coals. They were arranged around the outside. I cooked them for about ten minutes, turning them occasionally, and then put on the steaks. When the steaks were done to medium rare, I took the meat and corn off. The corn was perfect.
I remember my dad husking the corn and wrapping it in foil, but he buttered the corn before wrapping.
The way we like it is: first, husk, de-silk and trim the corn. Then parboil it. Then slap it on a medium to high grill for a few minutes each side, until you get a nice char on it. Decob it and toss with some garlic butter. Sprinkle with a bit of cohito cheese and serve.
I always soaked it in water overnight (or at least for a few hours) and then threw it right on the grill. It’s done when the husks are totally black and starting to flake off.
I usually use this method, because when you leave the husk and silk on, it’s a pain in the ass to remove the silk after it’s cooked.
It’s really hard to screw this up. I’d recommend against the foil and just soak the ears (in their husks) for 15 minutes like Frazzled mentioned. This way, you can monitor how the corn itself is doing, without having to open up the (lava hot) foil. Keep the coals on one side of the grill, keep the corn on the other side, take it off when the outer husks are charred. 15 minutes should do it. If the husks open up at all while they’re on the grill - don’t worry. It’ll just speed things up a few minutes, and you’ll get the bonus of having a few charred/caramelized kernels, which just ramp up the flavor.
I guess I’m super-lazy. I shuck the corn, coat with a little olive oil (sometimes garlic -infused), and throw on the grill. A few minutes later, delicious corn on the cob - no butter required!
Yeah, I like it much better without the foil/soaking/wrapping back up in the husk–it gets more steamed than roasted, and I much prefer the roasty flavors. We usually just silk it, rub it with a little butter or olive oil, salt and season it, and chuck it on the grill.
We remove some of the husk but not all, soak and toss on the grill. It’s best when you get delicious grilled dark kernels. If the corn is really sweet, it doesn’t need butter or anything else.
While your grilling veggies, you can chop the top part of a garlic off, wrap it in foil and sprinkle some olive oil inside. Also chop some onions, put a little salt and pepper and olive oil, wrap that up in foil and throw that on the grill too. Even easier, poblano peppers, naked over the hottest part of the grill. When it’s black and blistered all around, stick it in a paper bag for a bit.
Hell, get some pineapple, remove the rind, cut in spears, lather in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, put that in foil and chuck that on too.
Damn, now I want to veggie grill. . …
Thanks everyone! I may try it more ways than one, I have enough corn. But I may try first the simple direct method of oiling it and then just slapping it on the grill.
boozilu mentioned using olive oil(sometimes garlic infused) and I just happen to have some of that on hand.
Later on tonight I’ll post how the corn came out.
You check? 
I like to soak the corn (the melted ice in the bottom of the cooler when I’m camping works fine for this), pull the husk back, silk it the best I can, pull the husk back over the corn and tie a cotton string around it. Put the corn on the grate over the coals (not over any flaming parts of your fire) and leave it there until the husk has pretty much darkened. Take it off the grate, remove the husk, butter and season and yummmmm…
It’s really not necessary to do anything to it, just put it on the fire. I’ve tried all the methods, the presoaking, the oiling, the foiling and it’s just not worth it to me. With all the husk material left on, it’s more forgiving if you leave it on too long (though I won’t take it off the grill until at least some of the kernels themselves are charred). Corn can take up to 30 minutes to cook depending on the heat and distance, so you can concentrate on cooking your other foods and ignore the corn for long stretches between turning.
If you cook it the classic way, though, it’s best to dehusk outdoors after it’s cooked. My trick is to wear silicone oven mitts to peel back the husk and rub the silk off radially. Wrap the pulled-back husk with a paper towel and use as a holder, brush with melted butter, dust with kosher salt and it’s truly one of summer’s greatest pleasures.
I prefer to soak it, pull back the husks, desilk, pull the husks back on, and then grill. I think that it gets enough smoky flavor that way.
No reason it couldn’t be, however… Get a thick dry or green stick off the tree or off the ground, sharpen the end and thread through the cut end of a cob of husked and cleaned corn (or simply break the cob in half and use a pronged stick it you don’t want to or otherwise, are unable to cut off the end.) Smear the corn on the cob with butter or oil and roll it in your favorite, brown sugar based, spicy, BBQ rub. Prop the sticks or pungi then into the ground at about an 80 degree angle around your bonfire and rotate about 180 degrees every 5-10 minutes until nicely roasted, caramelized, and toasty.
This is what I do, too. Directly on the grill. No husk, no foil. If I’m cooking corn over a grill, I want that grilled smoky flavor in the corn. Foiling it makes it taste like steamed corn, and cooking it in the husk, though better than foil, still doesn’t have enough of that wood/char flavor in it, although I can see the appeal of this method.
Well, I’d intended to try it with AND without husks. But my grill slipped and two of the ears were sacrificed to the fire god. The rest I brushed with that garlic-infused olive oil and roasted directly.
Tasted great! I didn’t even put any butter or salt on it, the very slightly charry flavor was enough.
Oh, and Johnny L.A., there hasn’t been enough time for me to check.
This is what we do, but add “rub with garlic butter” after de-silking it.
I’m still waiting on Jimmy to finally give me his famous “Crack Corn” recipe.