Fire-roasted corn is one of the delights of outdoor summer cooking. Whether you are cooking over a grill or a campfire, you can cook corn cobs bare, wrapped in their husks, or wrapped in husks and aluminum foil.
Grilling Shucked Corn Cobs
If you intend to just roll corn cobs onto the grill, peel the husks down from the top and snap them off at the base and discard the husks. Remove the cornsilk from the top of the cob and pull off or rub off cornsilks clinging to the cob.
Corn cobs do not take long to cook on the grill -- only about 10 minutes. Place the cobs near the outside edge of a charcoal grill, or over medium heat on a gas grill. Turn the cobs frequently so they cook on all sides and don't burn. A little bit of browning doesn't hurt and actually brings out the sweetness of the corn.
Cooking Cobs in the Husk or Foil
If you're cooking over a campfire and don't want the corn to get dirty, or if you don't want to worry about the corn getting charred on the grill, you can cook corn cobs in their own husks. Like before, peel the husk down, but this time leave the husks attached to the stem. Pull off the cornsilk and optionally baste the corn with olive oil or butter.
Pull the leaves of the husk back up over the corn cob and tie at the top with cotton string. If you don't have string, just pull off a strip of the husk and use that to tie it, or wrap the corn in two layers of foil. The husk and/or foil will protect the corn from direct heat or contact with the flame and prevent burning -- or at least delay charring.
Wrapped corn will take a little longer to cook, about 15 to 20 minutes. #Turn the corn two to four times during cooking to make sure all sides get evenly hot. Before serving, unwrap one cob to check for doneness.