Featured image: Andrew Thomas Lee
Barbecue legend Pat Martin is no stranger to coaxing deep flavor from flames, and his Creamed Charred Corn — straight from the pages of his book Life of Fire — proves that corn is no exception.
Start by grilling whole ears of corn and jalapeños until charred and smoky. In a skillet, cream-style canned corn is heated with sugar, butter, and salt, then stirred together with the grilled kernels and finely chopped peppers.
Here’s the full breakdown.
Creamed Charred Corn
Ingredients
- 4 ears corn shucked
- 2 jalapeño peppers
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 2 cups canned cream-style corn
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1.5 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare a hot grill (2 to 3 second hand test). Clean and oil the grill grates well.
- Rub the corn and jalapeños with canola oil, then grill, turning frequently, until well charred all over, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the vegetables from the heat and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- In a medium cast-iron skillet, combine the cream-style corn, sugar, butter, salt, and 2 tablespoons of water. Set over medium-high heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, the water is absorbed, and the mixture is heated through, about 7 minutes.
- Once the corn has cooled, stand each cob upright and slice the kernels off with a chef’s knife. (Tip: Cut over a pie dish to catch stray kernels.)
- Remove the stems and seeds from the jalapeños and finely dice.
- Add the grilled corn kernels and jalapeños to the creamed corn mixture. Stir to combine and heat through before serving.
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