Grilled Corn on Cob with Chili-Lime-Butter

Rainy season is here. Grilled corn on the cob sold by the street vendor is mine most favorite during these days.

Corn on the cob or elote is a popular street food in Mexico. This is the culinary term used for a cooked ear of freshly picked sweet corn. Sweet corn is the most common variety of maize eaten directly off the cob. Ears of the corn are either steamed or boiled or roasted. Corn on the cob is normally eaten while still warm just after grilling or boiling followed by some condiments such as salt, butter and pepper. Corn was eaten by native American tribes. They ate corn as a staple food crop and ate it off the cob, either by roasting or boiling. Also they used corn skewers or corn cob holders (which are made of silver) to hold corn on the cob.

One can roast the corn in oven or direct on open flame. When roasting in oven, cooking the corn in the husk on the oven rack is recommended. When roasting or grilling corn on the cob on direct flame first peel back the corn husks leaving them attached at the base of the ear, remove all of the corn silk and then with husks pulled back, tie together with a piece of husk or string to form a handle and finally place directly the corn on the wired grilled on the flame.

A variety of condiments are preferred such as salt, lime juice, butter, chili powder, mayonnaise, cheese etc. But here in this recipe, I’ll go with butter, chili powder, salt and lime juice. Since it is raining, so oven roasting never gives a corn on the cob the taste that anyone will get by roasting on direct flame. The tangy, spicy and the smokiness is just perfect in this rainy evening. 

So let’s get started just by following below steps.

Preparation Time : 15 mins      |      Cooking Time : 10 mins 

Ingredients :        

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Method :

1. Peel back husks of the corn, leaving them attached at the base of the ear. 
2. Remove and discard all of the corn silk. With husks pulled back, tie together with a piece of husk or string to form a handle. 
3. Switch on flame and keep the wired grill directly on flame.
4. Place only the corn part of the cob on grill, not the tied husk part.
5. Keep turning in 30-35 second interval by holding the tied husk handle until charred and cooked well all over.
6. Meanwhile in a small bowl mix butter, chili powder, lime juice and black salt until incorporated. 
7. Switch off flame and take out the cooked corn on the cob onto a plate and rub the chili-lime-butter mixture all over the corn. 
8. Serve immediately and if more spicy needed, sprinkle some more chili powder over the corn.

Notes :

• Prefer to use freshly picked sweet corn ear to get more juicy corn.