How to Make Grilled Corn That Tastes Like it Came From the State Fair
One of our favorite ways to eat peak-season summer corn is straight off the cob while strolling the midway of the state fair. You can smell the sweet, smoky husks cooking a mile away and holding the charred husks while taking in all of the sights and sounds of the fair is pretty much peak Americana.
But if a visit to the fair isn't in the cards for you this year, you don't have to skip the corn. To help you learn how to grill corn in the husk at your house we went to the experts. And we didn't get the intel from just anyone. We went straight to the source and chatted with folks from the family farm that supplies all of the corn for the Minnesota State Fair. So fire up the grill and grab your corn. It's time to get cooking.
Related: The Grandpa-Approved Trick to Perfectly Cooked, Silk-Free Corn
What's the History of Grilled Corn?
According to Jenna Untiedt, the marketing manager at Untiedt's Vegetable Farm in Waverly, MN, grilled corn has deep ties to the Aztecs and Mayans, and is very popular in Mexico.
"In Mexico, elote (corn) is very popular, but it is quite different than the sweet corn grown here, especially from the corn grown here in Minnesota," she says. "The corn in Mexico is less sweet, which is why it is enjoyed as street corn with so many different types of toppings."
Untiedt says while it's common to find mayonnaise, Parmesan, Tajin, lime juice and chili powder as common toppings for street corn in Mexico, in the States, we tend to stick to fewer toppings. (Though let it be know that we'll never say no to an elote-inspired corn dish, whether the corn is on or off the cob.)
Related: The Secret Ingredient to Tender, Juicy, Perfectly Cooked Corn
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How Do You Make Grilled Corn in the Husk?
We wanted the most authentic recipe so we asked Untiedt for hers since her family's farm is the sole supplier for the corn sold at the Minnesota State Fair each year (supplying approximately 250,000 ears of sweet corn!).
"We have been growing for The Corn Roast for about 20 years," Untiedt says, "and we only pick one ear of corn from each stalk, the superior ear, as we believe it has the most flavor."
Untiedt says to get that state fair taste, there are a few key pointers. One is to work with fresh corn, if you can get your hands on it. "Some people prefer to soak their corn, but I don't really think it's necessary if you are using corn that was picked fresh that day as it still has plenty of moisture within the husk," she says. If your corn was harvested a few days earlier, Untiedt recommends soaking it in cold water for 30 minutes before grilling.
After soaking, twist the silks off the top of the ear and remove any loose leaves, which will make it a little less messy when it comes time to eat the corn. Make sure your grill is turned to medium to high heat. Once your grill is hot, place the corn in the husk directly on the grill, rotating it every 10 minutes for about 35-45 minutes or until the husks are charred.
Once the corn is done, remove it from the grill and let it cool for about 5 minutes before peeling the husks back. At this point, Untiedt says you can enjoy it in a variety of ways: butter it, enjoy it with mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese, or cut it off the cob and turn it into a roasted corn salad or salsa.
Rosemary Gill, the director of education at Christopher Kimball's Milk Street takes a slightly different (but just as delicious) approach:
"If you want less char and more sweetness, you grill the corn in the husks. I like to pull the husks about three-quarters of the way down the ear, remove the silks, and then smoosh them back into place before grilling; this loosens the husks so they are easy and less messy to remove later when they're hot and you're ready to eat," she says. Gill prefers to cook the corn over indirect heat (not over the flame) so they cook more slowly and the dry husks don't get too charred. Gill recommends rubbing the corn with a spiced butter before you replace the husks and put them on the grill for maximum deliciousness.
Up next: The Easiest Way to Cut Corn Off the Cob Without Kernels Flying Everywhere
