BBQ Corn Ribs with Garlic Butter and Parmesan
Corn on the Cob, But Better
Corn on the cob is one of those ingredients that works so well on the BBQ. It is simple, relatively cheap and takes on plenty of flavour when cooked directly over charcoal.
Corn ribs take the same idea but make it a little more interesting.
By cutting the corn lengthways into quarters, you end up with individual pieces that curl slightly as they cook and are perfect for picking up and eating with your hands. They also give you more surface area for seasoning, smoke and char, which is never a bad thing.
For these BBQ Corn Ribs I wanted to keep the flavours fairly simple. The corn is seasoned with smoked paprika, garlic and onion before being cooked directly over the heat. It is then finished with garlic butter, plenty of finely grated Parmesan, parsley and a little lemon.
The result is sweet, smoky, buttery and salty, with the lemon helping to cut through the richness.
These are perfect as a BBQ side dish, but I think they work particularly well as part of a larger sharing spread where everyone can just grab one and get stuck in.
Preparing the Corn Ribs
The hardest part of this recipe is cutting the corn.
Corn cobs are surprisingly tough, so you do need a sharp, sturdy knife and a stable chopping board. I boiled mine for 7 minutes first to soften them slightly and make them a little easier to cut.
Now onto the slicing. I find it easier to cut each cob in half across the middle first. You can then stand each piece upright on the flat end before carefully cutting down through the centre. Cut each half again and you will end up with four ribs from each cob.
Be REALLY careful with this step. Make sure your knife is very sharp, your chopping board is stable and, most importantly, keep your hands and fingers well away from the path of the knife. Take your time and don’t try to force the knife if it doesn’t feel safe.
Once the corn is cut, I coat it with a simple mixture of olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic granules, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
The seasoning is deliberately quite straightforward as the real flavour comes at the end from the garlic butter and Parmesan.
Cooking the Corn Ribs
For this cook I would set the BBQ up for direct cooking over a medium-high heat.
Place the corn ribs directly onto the grill and cook for around 10 to 15 minutes, turning regularly.
As they cook, the corn should start picking up some colour and the ribs may curl slightly. You are looking for a good mix of golden colour and darker charred areas without completely blackening the corn.
Towards the end of the cook, brush the ribs with some of the garlic butter and return them to the grill for another minute or two.
You do need to keep an eye on them at this point. Butter and fresh garlic can burn quite quickly over direct heat, so this is more about getting a final hit of flavour than cooking them for any length of time.
Finishing the Corn Ribs
Once the corn ribs come off the BBQ, brush them with the remaining garlic butter while they are still hot.
Then add plenty of very finely grated Parmesan.
I would recommend grating the Parmesan as finely as you can. The finer cheese sticks much better to the warm butter and corn rather than simply falling off onto the plate.
Finish with chopped flat-leaf parsley, a little Aleppo pepper or mild chilli flakes and some finely grated lemon zest.
A small squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving really brings everything together.
Serve them straight away while they are still hot.
The Verdict
These are definitely one of those dishes where you will find yourself going back for another one.
The sweetness of the corn works brilliantly with the garlic butter and salty Parmesan, while the smoked paprika and char from the BBQ give them a little extra depth.
I also really like the addition of the lemon. Without it, the butter and Parmesan could become quite rich, but that little bit of acidity keeps everything nicely balanced.
They are also a great dish for entertaining. Put a big pile of them in the middle of the table and let everyone help themselves.
Simple ingredients, plenty of flavour and cooked over fire. Exactly the sort of BBQ food I like.
BBQ Corn Ribs with Garlic Butter and Parmesan
Ingredients
For the Corn Ribs
- 6 Corn on the Cob
- 2½ tbsp Olive Oil (extra virgin)
- 1¼ tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1¼ tsp Garlic Granules
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
For the Garlic Butter
- 75 g Unsalted Butter
- 2 Garlic Cloves finely grated or crushed
To Finish
- 75 g Parmesan very finely grated
- Small handful Flat-leaf Parsley finely chopped
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper or mild chilli flakes
- 1 Zest of a Lemon
- Juice from 1 Lemon to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the corn cobs and boil for 7 minutes. Remove from the water and allow them to cool enough to handle.
- Carefully cut each corn cob in half across the middle. Stand each piece upright on its flat end and, using a sharp, sturdy knife, carefully cut down through the centre. Cut each half again to create four corn ribs from each cob. Take your time and keep your hands and fingers well away from the path of the knife.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic granules, onion powder, salt and black pepper. Brush the mixture over the corn ribs.
- Mix the butter and garlic in a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Set up your BBQ for direct cooking over a medium-high heat. Place the corn ribs directly onto the grill and cook for around 10–15 minutes, turning regularly, until the corn is tender and nicely charred.
- During the final 1–2 minutes of cooking, lightly brush the corn ribs with some of the garlic butter. Continue cooking over the direct heat, turning regularly and taking care not to burn the garlic.
- Remove the corn ribs from the BBQ and immediately brush with the remaining garlic butter.
- Sprinkle generously with the finely grated Parmesan, followed by the chopped parsley, Aleppo pepper or chilli flakes and lemon zest.
- Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and serve immediately.
