Grilled Corn on the Cob

Ingredients

• 6 ears fresh sweet corn in the husk
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

Before you cook

• Pull back the husks without detaching them and strip away all the silk.
• Fold the husks back over the kernels and soak the ears in cold water for 20 minutes so the husks will not burn through.
• Mash the softened butter with the chives, lime zest, salt, pepper, and cayenne.

Steps

1. Build a medium-hot charcoal fire or heat a gas grill to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Shake the water off the soaked ears and lay them directly on the grate.
3. Grill with the lid closed for 15 minutes, turning every 4 minutes, while the corn steams inside its husk.
4. Move the ears to a board and peel the hot husks all the way back, using a towel to protect your hands.
5. Twist the husks together at the base to make a handle, or tear them off entirely.
6. Return the naked ears to the grate over direct heat.
7. Grill for 4 to 6 minutes, rolling them often, until scattered kernels blister and blacken.
8. Slather each hot ear generously with the herb butter and serve at once.