I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine. I include it here today in honor of the Great Minnesota Get Together, aka the Minnesota State Fair, which begins tomorrow. The grilled corn at the State Fair is sick it's so good. Don't watch while they drench - drench! - it in melted butter and you'll enjoy it completely.
When I was a kid, I would eat corn only directly from the cob. Even if the corn were freshly sliced onto a plate, it lost its popping-in-the-mouth sensation, and therefore its flavor and fun. You might have spent the summer of '72 finding the Stairway to Heaven in the backseat of a Ford Torino. I spent it toothless, cornless, and depressed (in a 5-year-old way), thanks to a mid-July bike crash with my not-friend Stacy.
These days my corn truth is more about freshness, butter, and salt than it is about cob vs. plate. I've come to prefer grilled corn over boiled - a few million Minnesota State Fair-goers might agree with me. Even if you're a sweet corn purist, trust me that corn's sweetness is set off nicely by subtle smoky heat and a squirt of fresh lime. A finishing crumble of tangy queso fresco can turn it all into a meal.
On or off the cob. Yeah.
Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Butter
Adapted from www.epicurious.com
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. minced cilantro or Italian parsley
8 large ears of corn, husked
lime wedges
coarse salt
optional: crumbled queso fresco (or feta) cheese
Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add minced chipotles, fresh lime juice, and cilantro or parsley. Remove from heat.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill corn until cooked through and blackened in spots, turning frequently, about 6 minutes. Before taking the corn off the grill, brush generously with chipotle butter. Remove corn to a large platter. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt and optional queso fresco. Serve with lime wedges.
