Flavor-Bomb Corn 🌽
A Secret Ingredient to Making the Most Delicious Corn
Greetings!
Last week was a little chaotic with life-happens stuff… so this week expect (3) Substack drops. 🙌 We talking a little Summer Corn 🌽 today, then we will be talking (2) Watermelon 🍉 and finishing with some more fun (3) BBQ 🔥 🍖 to close out the 3 Cooking Substacks for the week.
Summer Corn 🌽
Corn is a year-round staple on many people’s table. Canned corn should be avoided completely, unless there are no other options; even then, I’d probably pass. If you must use, then rinse thoroughly but that tinny-canned taste will remain.
You can get consistent IQF frozen corn at the supermarket, which is steps above the canned offerings. And then there is corn harvested from all over the globe that’s flown to a supermarket near you for much of the year… but it never tastes as sweet or bursting with flavor as the corn that pops up for those few months of summer. Without a doubt, one of the true pleasures of Summer is getting your hands on freshly harvested corn.
Corn on the Cobb
This is a case where less is more. Cooked in their husks, then being eaten straight from the cobb after coming hot off the grill at a backyard cookout. Maybe a little butter and S&P… nothing else needed!
You can take this a step further and bust out some Elotes 🌽 🇲🇽. Here the corn cobb is slathered in mayo, lime, chili 🌶 , cotija 🧀 and sometimes other spices… this corn explodes with flavor from the acidity and spice from the other components. It can be messy, but fun… if only there were a way to make this easier to eat… bursting with more flavor? (hint: we will today) 👀
Grilling Corn in Husks
For some reason there has been this craze over the last few decades of taking your ears of corn and then soaking it for hours (or even the day before). The claim is that the soaking makes the corn “more juicy and flavorful, and prevents burning”.
Just applying a little bit of logic and science to this I have a few problems.
Why would you want to dilute your corn with plain water? It makes no sense at all. Any extra juiciness that comes from soaking is the result of taking on more water, which dilutes the flavor.
Don’t buy into the “use salt water the corn will rebsorb it”. This has been tested and proven false, since brining of meats (proteins) is completely different than mode of action for vegetable cell walls (cellulose etc). You end up with drier corn.
Freshly harvested corn, in the husk, has plenty of moisture. The kernels themselves as well as the husks. This is ample for cooking the corn
Soaking the corn will introduce excess steam to our coals, which we dont want. Especially if we are grilling steaks (for example) while we grill the corn.
It’s perfectly fine for the outer husks and corn silks to burn off and char while cooking. This creates desirable and subtle smokey perfume.
So what’s the hack to pull this off?
When you light your coals, once you put them in the bottom of the pit, put the top grate on to preheat (as usual). Now, put your corn, on the grate in the area with no coals under. No put the lid on and preheat the grill. This will give you a 10-15 min head start for the corn to warm and start cooking
Now, you can cook your steaks (or chicken, or fish, etc etc) directly over the coals, and put the corn close by to the heat. (Use common sense, larger corn close to the fire, smaller away).
Once your steaks come off, you want them to rest at least 10 mins. Perfect! Now put the corn directly over the coals and turn as the outer husks char. Again, if the corn silks catch fire, let them burn or separate them from the chusk with tongs. No biggie.
Once the corn is charred all over they should be perfectly cooked. Don’t cook your corn to mush!
You can now, with oven mitts or gloves, peel the husks off the corn. Rub with a cold butter stick to melt all over, and hit with some salt and pepper.
*Note: If you want to take it a step further, once peeled, you can take the peeled corn and put back over the coals to get more char is you like. If the corn starts popping, turn, or remove.
And that’s how to easily grill whole corn with no extra steps (or dilution) 🙌
Other Corn Styles
Creamed Corn 🥛
Classically though, corn, is known for taking the stage on BBQ menus all over the world in the form of creamed corn. It’s easy to see why this has paired so well with BBQ. The smoky, meaty flavors are contrasted by the sweet creamed corn. Over the years I’ve drifted away from this preparation since it comes off as one-note. Straight sweet, rich, heavy, usually loaded with cream cheese, dairy.. and sugar. Hard Pass for me.
Corn Salad 🥗
Corn can also make a great salad. One of my favorite is corn, black beans with a simple vinegar & EVOO, mixed with sliced scallion and cilantro… served chilled, makes a great summer side.
If you want this recipe leave a comment and I’ll drop a Twitter 🧵
Sour Corn
This is a Southern specialty. Freshly harvested corn kernels are put into a salt brine and allowed to lacto-ferment. (Note: This is the same fermentation process as making sauerkraut or kimchi). This makes a sweet-and sour side that you can use like a relish topping, or as a side component to anything from fried chicken or roasted quail.
Huitlacoche
Known as “The Truffle of Mexico 🇲🇽”, this is a corn that has grown an edible fungus on top. The result is a dark black covering on the corn, that makes it soft and spreadable, resembling the color of winter truffles. (It’s also referred to as corn smut 😂 ).
It has a distinct, earthy flavor that a lot of chefs and diners love. Before you get “grossed out” remember that mushrooms and the luxurious white and black truffles are also in the same category of fungi. There are some health benefits as well. Containing higher protein than regular corn, huitlacoche also has high amounts of lysine which is not found in regular corn.
I’ve seen Huitlacoche used in everything from sauces to risottos. It’s an incredibly versatile ingredient.
(Note: We will discuss corn grits, hominy, masa, etc in a later Substack).
Flavor Bomb Corn 🌽 💣
So what would be the best of all worlds for the perfect corn?
A corn that is easy to eat
Uses the grill for a subtle smoky flavor
Combines all flavors on the palate (sweet, salty, umami, etc).
Make it luxe… by enriching with bone marrow 🦴
You heard me… we are going to make a mind-blowing corn that will knock your socks and go into your permanent Summer rotation… Let’s Cook! 🔥