Corn Done the American Way: It Couldn’t Be More Tillamook!
When thinking about what to make for a hearty and traditional Fourth of July meal, one cannot overlook the importance of a delicious cob of corn prepared either on the BBQ or on the stove top. Either way, corn is a traditional meal dating back to the nation’s earliest colonies as a main source of nutrients. More recently corn is in almost anything from soda to gas. However, it is almost always at the top of its game in its most natural form (kind of sounds like cheese doesn’t it?!) – straight off the cob.
If you’ve read my previous blog posts, you will know that I like traditions. I like the comfort and familiarity of them – but I also like to tweak them to be a little bit different! So with that in mind, let’s change corn. Well, let’s change the way we serve corn. I’m not smart enough to figure out how to fundamentally change the chemical make-up of corn, so we’ll alter the ingredient that goes best with it - Tillamook Butter! Perfect in every way, Tillamook Butter does not dance outside of the box when it comes to creative flavoring – which makes it perfect for us to tamper with. Here are 3 different corn on the cob recipe alterations with Tillamook Butter!
Red Pepper Flake Butter (the real fireworks of your Fourth of July):
To start the night off before lighting the fireworks, you’ll likely be drinking some sort of light summer ale or lager and relaxing on the front porch with friends. The pale ale is the perfect way to cool down after what may be (or may not be if you live in Oregon) a hot summer day. But as the evening approaches, heat things back up by adding a generous portion of red pepper flakes to a cube of Tillamook Salted Butter. Not only will it add great flavor to the corn, but it will add a little fun surprise for your guests when they get hit with a bit of heat mid-bite (plus it looks cool with the red against the yellow corn)! This’ll get everyone ready for your epic fireworks display this year!
BBQ Butter (sultry summer night):
If you are BBQ-ing, why not toss some of that amazing flavor into the corn? Typically I butter my corn after it has cooked, but with this technique I recommend buttering before hitting the flames. This will ensure that you get a delicious BBQ flavor throughout the cob while also creating an amazing char on the corn kernels. Because you’re barbecuing the corn, I recommend a little sweeter BBQ sauce to balance the char flavor you’ll pick up. Fire up the grill and make a masterpiece – one juicy kernel at a time!
All American Honey Butter (a kiss under a lit sky with your honey):
I am a bit of a meat eater myself – some may say too much so. Therefore my Fourth of July menu often consists mostly of hot dogs and hamburgers with a sprinkle of potato salad. However, I balance my carnivorous side with a healthy sweet tooth. For that I recommend mixing about a teaspoon and a half (and that’s on the low side) of honey with a cube of Tillamook Salted Butter. Not only will this give a delicious sweet flavor to the corn, but it will add a fun element that plays off the salt in the butter. It is the perfect cob to mix with chilled homemade potato salad and BBQ chicken.
Maybe it’s because the kids are out of school and we let them cook with all the creativity they can muster, but it seems like the Fourth of July always brings out the creative side of us all! What are your favorite Fourth of July traditions or fun recipes you’ve created over the years? I bet you have some that are more fun than mine!
