Corn on the cob for 125

[longview]

Wondering if anyone has experience cooking corn on the cob for a large, very large group.  I'm part of a small group hosting a barbeque dinner in two days for 125 and have been given the challenge of preparing the corn on the cob. 

My cooking options are limited.  Boiling water over a gas grill and a charcoal grill.  I don't have access to roasting pans, or an oven.  I also don't have access to milk cans (they are good to cook in on open fire).

I have read that putting the prepared corn in a large, clean cooler keeps them warm for a long time, like > one hour.  Does anyone have experience with this?

Would soaking the ears, in husk, and grilling them be a better option given what I have to cook with?

My simple solution would be a couple #10 cans in a roaster!  But, there are people each group who hosts a dinner that try to out-do the others, and someone in my group got the idea corn on the cob would be great for a large bunch, if we (me) can pull it off.

[Chris_]

Never done corn on the cob, but fifty pounds of pasta or broccoli or anything else  can't be much different.

Blanch at home ahead of time and chill in a large bath of ice water.  Don't overcook the corn.  Reheat on the grill and serve. 

[longview]

Oh!  I like that!  I can get a little ahead and then keep cooking and the hoards come through. 

[Chris_]

After you have the cobs blanched and cooled, you may want to wrap them individually in foil.  They sell boxes of individual foil sheets if you don't want to cut a gross of them by hand.  It would keep them clean and ready to heat and serve on the grill.  It may take a little time, though (welcome to the mindless busywork of professional cooking).

[longview]

Wonderful idea!  Thank you.

Seems every career has that type of chore.

[debk]

I have one of those turkey fryers that uses propane. It's wonderful for cooking corn in the cob. But the most I have cooked it for was about 50. I always put sugar in the water when cooking corn. 

I have gone to pig roasts where they used a wash tub over a grill on wood coals. The corn was partially cooked before it went into the hot water. They had the butter in a big can - like one of the institutional sized ones that corn or green beans come in, and a paint brush.

When I did it, I melted butter in a pot that I sat on the edge of the grill, and used a pastry brush to put the butter on with. I used one with handles, didn't like the idea of using one with nothing to grab onto.

[longview]

That's another good idea, debk.  Thanks.

[Thor]

One of the guys I used to hunt with would bring a cooler full of corn on the cob & baked potatoes. Granted, it was only enough for 15 people, but they were always hot. I would imagine that one could do the same thing, only on a larger scale.

[CG6468]

Our Legion post makes hundreds of ears of corn for its annual picnic. The coolers work very well for us. We have a can of melted butter to dip them in.

[Karin]

What a helpful thread!     I got tired of listening to the screams of DUmmies.   

Good luck and have fun with the big event, longview!

[DixieBelle]

OMG now I'm hungry!

[longview]

 

Thank you, chris_!  You're suggestion for cooking the corn worked very well. 

After I blanched it this morning I put them in a huge (70 qt) bucket of ice water followed by wrapping them in tin foil.  Put them in the refrigerator until it was time to meet at the polo grounds.  I had a small gas grill to use that only held 16 half ears at a time.  After warming the corn over medium flame I put them in a cooler.  It was crisp when served.  We just melted butter and drizzled it over all the corn in a large serving bowl. 

The corn that was left over in the cooler is still warm after three hours and still tastes great.

I got many compliments and gave you the credit.

A man from India made a grilled curry chicken and a yogurt-based sauce.  A fellow from Arkansas made red beans and rice.  One from AZ made great salsas.  We ate well.

[Chris_]

Good to hear.

Cooking doesn't have to be difficult.

[Mike B the Cajun]

  A fellow from Arkansas made red beans and rice.

Red beans and rice is a traditional Monday "wash day" lunch in New Orleans, and is the restaurant plate lunch of choice thruout South Louissiana.

In the old days, the wash was done on Mondays. It was an "all hands, all day evolution", requiring the services of a number of help. They were served lunch, typically red beans and rice and usually sausage. The traditional meal  continues to this day.

[longview]

Red beans and rice is a traditional Monday "wash day" lunch in New Orleans, and is the restaurant plate lunch of choice thruout South Louissiana.

Interesting.  That might explain why he held a small roaster of them back and planned a cook out at his house last night.  He said, "We've got to save some of these for Monday... and we can invite friends over."  Might be a coincidence, but maybe not.

[vesta111]

I was taught by a southerner to never put corn in water.   Steam the suckers, water just robs the corn of the goodies.

She also steamed most veggies before grilling and was a fanatic about steaming greens.

Winter time and with frozen veggies she taught me to steam them-----Never put a veggie into boiling water, fresh or frozen.

Something from her grandma that needed to cook with little energy, to steam was to take much less energy then to boil a gallon of water.-----Poor folks cooking she called it and
she became famous in her neck of the woods for the best food, old time around.----And Yes she used lard.

[debk]

I was taught by a southerner to never put corn in water.   Steam the suckers, water just robs the corn of the goodies.

She also steamed most veggies before grilling and was a fanatic about steaming greens.

Winter time and with frozen veggies she taught me to steam them-----Never put a veggie into boiling water, fresh or frozen.

Something from her grandma that needed to cook with little energy, to steam was to take much less energy then to boil a gallon of water.-----Poor folks cooking she called it and
she became famous in her neck of the woods for the best food, old time around.----And Yes she used lard.

I steam all frozen vegetables, fresh broccoli, asparagus and carrots.

Corn on the cob gets cooked in sugar water or cleaned then wrapped in wax paper and steamed in the microwave.

I will saute fresh green beans, snow peas, asparagus, spinach, yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, eggplant or mushrooms. Depending on what I'm going to do with the vegetable, I use either butter, olive oil or a combination of the two.

I cook cabbage or fresh green beans (if I'm trying to do them "Southern" version) in chicken broth.   

[Mike B the Cajun]

Interesting.  That might explain why he held a small roaster of them back and planned a cook out at his house last night.  He said, "We've got to save some of these for Monday... and we can invite friends over."  Might be a coincidence, but maybe not.

If you spend any time in South Louisiana, Monday is red beans and rice day, period. It kinda gets ingrained into your soul.

Apparently your friend has a bit of Cajun/Creole in him.

[longview]

If you spend any time in South Louisiana, Monday is red beans and rice day, period. It kinda gets ingrained into your soul.

Apparently your friend has a bit of Cajun/Creole in him.

I asked him.  He'd not thought about it, but grew up doing that.  His mom was from southern Louisiana, it turns out, but raised her family in south Arkansas.  So he was kind of happy to hear of the link to the tradition.

[Mike B the Cajun]

I asked him.  He'd not thought about it, but grew up doing that.  His mom was from southern Louisiana, it turns out, but raised her family in south Arkansas.  So he was kind of happy to hear of the link to the tradition.

Ain't it funny what one learns on a message/discussion board.       

[IassaFTots]

Ain't it funny what one learns on a message/discussion board.       

I have a pot of beans getting ready to simmer now.