Happy (belated) birthday to me! Having a 4th of July birthday means that I get to spend the day outside, with friends and family, and enjoy great BBQ food.  The highlight of the barbecue this year was my dad’s asian pulled pork and homemade pickles. I want to make this again soon and post it here (once he sends me the recipe – hint hint!)

In preparing for the BBQ I’ve been doing some grill experimentation to find some new recipes. I’ve played around with chipotle chicken thighs, burgers, various flavors of zucchini and have some portobella mushrooms for later this week (any tips!?).

This recipe from Eating Well Magazine is such a smart way to prepare corn and brought some extra flavor to the early season corn I was working with.  When I first made this recipe I cooked the corn in the oven as the original recipe notes and then made it again on the grill for the 4th of July.  This idea of flavoring some butter and cooking it directly on the corn so that it melts and infuses the cob with its delicious flavor is brilliant. This creates tasty ears of corn that can be easily consumed at a BBQ or saved and used for recipes later in the week. I have found SO many new ways I want to vary this technique (all noted in the ‘thoughts for next time’ below), and I can’t wait to make them all as the summer continues!  

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 4 ears of corn, husked

Steps and Notes:

1. If using an oven, preheat to 425
2. Mix the brown sugar, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper and combine with the butter.
3. Place an ear of corn on top of a piece of tin foil. Lather the corn with 1 teaspoon of the butter mixture.
   • I got my hands nice and buttery for this step
4. Wrap the ear of corn in the foil.
5. Place the cobs directly onto the oven racks and bake for 20 minutes. (turn after 10 minutes)
   • Note – on the grill, you only need about 15 minutes.
6. Note: keeping the corn in the foil will keep it warm for at least an hour or so until serving.

Thoughts for Next Time:

• Create a garlic butter with freshly diced butter for a deeper flavor
• Grilled corn with spicy miso butter
• Mexican grilled corn with majo, cotija cheese and lime.
• Asian sesame corn on the cob