Grilled Corn with Hot Lips Chili Butter

This is a kick ass recipe for chili butter.  I love it.  I want to make it every time we grill corn on the cob.  Of course, the fact that it's BUTTER means it's going to be awesome, but then you throw in that sweet/spicy mix of sugar, chili powder, and cayenne, and it just makes your lips tingle, it's that good.

I'd never grilled corn this way until I read this recipe.  You have to unwrap the corn, but leave the husks attached.  Then you pull off the silk, enclose the cob back in the husks, and run water through it.  I think you do that to keep the corn from burning as well as steam it while it grills.    

The recipe is from a little cookbook called Dressed to Grill.  I picked up this cookbook several years ago.  I haven't made too many recipes out of it, but I've liked all of them so far.  It's sort of a "girl power" grilling cookbook.  The titles of some of the recipes crack me up.  Here is a sampling of my favorites:

"Think Big and Long: Grilled Asparagus"
"Firm Thighs" (chicken thighs)
"Chauvinist Pig" (pork tenderloin)
"Who's Sari Now?" (Indian spiced kebabs)

Grilled Corn with Hot Lips Chili Butter
adapted from Dressed to Grill
Serves 6

Note: Feel free to be generous with the spice measurements.

6 ears fresh corn

Chili Butter:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Vegetable oil for grilling

Preheat a hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas or electric grill on high heat.

Carefully pull back the husk of each ear of corn one segment at a time without actually removing it (the very outer ones might come off, that's ok).  Remove the stringy silk as best as you can, then re-wrap the corn in the husks so it looks more or less like what you started with.  Run water into the ears of the corn, letting it run out the other end.  Drain the excess water.  Next the recipe says to "twist the husks at the top to close".  I've never had extra husk at the top to do that with, so I ignore that step.

To prepare the chili butter, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.  Taste, adjust seasoning as needed, and set aside.

When the grill is ready, brush the grill grate with the vegetable oil.  Place the corn right over the hot fire.  Grill for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally to grill evenly on all sides.  Remove from grill, let cool a minute or two, then pull back the husks.  You can either rip the husks off completely, or tie them in a knot (this is supposed to make them look rustic.  Just for the record, I have no idea what that is supposed to look like, but I did attempt to tie mine in a knot).  Generously brush the corn with the chili butter.  Serve hot.