BBQ Grill Review

Posts Tagged ‘Corn On The Cob’

Grilling Corn - Juicy, Sweet, A Real Treat!

Grilling corn is a real summer tradition. Corn on the cob, piping hot off the grill and covered in butter and salt, is a part of our cultural heritage - as American as Mom's apple pie on the Fourth of July. In fact, corn is more American than you may realize.

Corn is only one of the two major domesticated food plants in the world that is native to the Americas (the potato is the other). Over 8,000 years ago, the first corn was planted in what is now Mexico. Today, sweet corn is one of the world's major crops and more corn is grown in the United States than in any other place on Earth. I

t's no wonder that grilling corn is seen as a necessary part of any summer cook-out. The problem is that while a lot of corn is grilled, not a lot of corn is grilled well. The aim of this article is to remedy that fact and make sure that the next time you're grilling corn, you're grilling it right.

The first step in grilling corn is getting your hands on the best corn you can. Because the best materials guarantee the best results, you want to make sure that you start with the freshest, sweetest corn available.

If you live in or near a rural area, get it straight from the farmer or a roadside stand. In more urban areas, look for farmer's markets or produce stores. Like any other produce, corn is best straight off, in this case, the stalk. Never purchase corn that is already husked. The corn husk protects the corn and helps to retain the corn's natural moisture. Pre-husked corn will always be an inferior product when compared to corn still in the husk.

Finally, when you have found the freshest corn, look for the best ears available. Pull back the the top of the husk and take a look at the corn itself. A good ear of corn will have large, even, milky colored kernels all around the cob.

The next step in grilling corn is preparing the corn for the grill and your grill for the corn. Preparing the corn is easy.

Fill a large bowl or small bucket with fresh cold water and immerse the corn, husk and all, in the water. Let the corn soak for about 15 or 20 minutes. Letting the corn soak in water allows the husk to absorb additional water. This water will help properly cook the corn, once it's on the grill.

While the corn is soaking, start your grill. Corn, like any vegetable, cooks best over medium heat. So, you want your grill to be hot, but not too hot. If you can hold your hand a few inches over the grill for three or four seconds, you've got the heat about right.

When the grill is ready, remove the corn from the water and place it, husk and all, on the grill. Why leave on the husk? Remember, the husk is nature's way of protecting the corn from damage. It provides the same protection on the grill, letting the corn cook and steam while preventing the cob from drying out and burning. Let the corn cook for about 15 minutes, turning whenever the husk starts to char.

Once the husk is thoroughly charred, the corn is done. Remove it from the grill, let it cool, peel back the husk and serve it with butter and salt.

That's all there is to it! Grilling corn is a snap once you know how to grill it right.

Grilling Vegetables - The Healthy Barbecue Option

Everybody enjoys a barbecue! There are few things better than being outdoors with family and friends, enjoying the warm weather, while a grill full of delicious food cooks in the background.

A healthy, and often overlooked, cookout alternative is to try grilled vegetables along with, or instead of, more traditional barbecue options. It turns out that, when properly prepared, grilled vegetables can be among the tastiest things you or your family and guests have tasted. The best part is that preparing vegetables for grilling couldn't be easier.

The first step in preparing grilled vegetables is learning which types of vegetables are best suited for the barbecue. While nearly every variety of vegetable is capable of being grilled, some are better than others.

In general, larger vegetables cook evenly and are easier to manage on the grill than smaller vegetables. Also, sturdier vegetables tend to handle the grilling process better than their more fragile counterparts. This means, for example, that bell peppers are a perfect choice for the barbecue, while broccoli is not. Other good choices include onions, zucchini or summer squash, and corn on the cob.

Don't forget to experiment, however. Sometimes, more exotic, lesser known, vegetables are perfect candidates for the grill. Radicchio and endive are delicious when grilled, as is fennel. In each case, the bitterness found in the raw plant is tempered by exposure to the flames.

The next step in making grilled vegetables is proper preparation.

Start by slicing the vegetables to provide maximum exposure to the heat from the grill. You first want to remove all end pieces, pulp and seeds and then halve or quarter the vegetable in question. A rule of thumb is larger, regular sized pieces work better than smaller, irregular sized pieces.

In addition, some vegetables, onions and mushrooms in particular, benefit from the use of a skewer. Always use stainless steel skewers. They are reusable and easier to manage. Stay away from bamboo skewers which tend to burn.

Once the vegetables have been cleaned and sliced, place them in a large bowl of cold water for 30 minutes or so. This allows them to soak up a bit of water which will help prevent burning once they are on the grill.

While the vegetables are soaking, fire up your grill. Vegetables grill best over medium heat, so the key here is to prevent the grill from getting too hot. If you can hold your hand several inches off the grill for for three or four seconds, you've got the temperature just right.

Take your vegetables out of the water, pat them dry, give them a quick brush of olive oil and place them on the grill.

Not all of the vegetables will cook at the same rate, so be prepared to take different vegetables off the fire at different times. You want to lightly char the vegetables, but not burn them. When the side of the vegetable closest to the fire has browned and is marked by the grill, it's time to turn it over. Only turn the vegetables once.

When the other side is also browned and marked by the grill, that vegetable is done and it's time to take it off.

Grilled vegetables taste best at or just above room temperature, so serving is easy. Simply place all the grilled vegetables in the same bowl or on the same plate and let them cool for ten or fifteen minutes.

Grilled vegetables are easy once you know the tricks. Remember, when you're grilling vegetables, you're grilling smart.

Grilling Vegetables with Herbs

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