I've tried corn on the cob cooked many different ways including boiled, steamed, soaked and smoked, and a few others. They all seemed to be flavorless or way too much effort for the outcome.
Enter my friend from Mexico who came over to cook with me one day, a few years back. He wanted corn and I said sure, but we need about 4 hours to soak and then cook them in the smoker. Well, he said he just uses the grill over wood coals and it doesn't take long at all. Fine by me. I stood aside and let him go to it.
It is now the only way I will cook corn on the cob, and the flavor can't be beat. The first requirement is to cook over very hot wood coals or fire. Gas grills don't get hot enough to cook with this technique, although an infrared grill might work (but it won't have the flavor).
Ingredients:
Corn
Mayonaise (to be authentic), or butter if you prefer
Mild chile powder (ancho is authentic)
This is a two step cooking process. First you grill the corn in the husk. Then when ready to serve, remove the husk and silk and grill until the desired doneness. Serve with mayo and chili powder (this is how street vendors serve it up in Mexico).
Here is the pictorial:
Corn in husk over very hot wood coals:
Cook until black on each side. At this point they are completely cooked through:
When ready to serve, remove the husk and silk and place back on the grill:
This is how they should look when done for the perfect grilled flavor:
And here we go, served with mayo and chile powder with grilled pork chops and toast:
I hope you enjoyed the show!