Corn on the Cob? How in the world do I transform this barbeque staple into a body part for our Dead Man’s BBQ? Simple…I made corn ribs and arranged them to look like a rib cage! The preparation idea came from this pin on Pinterest. I saw this video and immediately thought it would be perfect for our Halloween BBQ theme. She used an air fryer to make her corn ribs, but I don’t have an air fryer so I modified her prep to bake in a convection oven and got the same results. I also modified her seasonings a bit and but truth be told, I love making corn this way. It may be the only way I make it from here on out. It’s quick to make, easy to eat and makes perfect portions if you don’t want to eat a whole cob of corn. Enjoy!
Corn on the Carcass
Clever plating and simple preparation transforms corn on the cob into a spooky Halloween side of Corn on the Carcass.
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Servings: 16 ribs
Equipment
- Convection oven
Ingredients
- 4 ears corn
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. smoked paprika
- pinch salt and pepper
- smoky mayo (recipe below)
- ½ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- cilantro and lime (garnish)
Smoky Mayo
- 3 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp. sour cream
- ½ tsp. each chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and salt
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tbsp. jalapeno, finely minced
- 1 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
- 2-3 tbsp. lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- (Updated instructions as of Nov 1, 2022)To cut corn cobs into fourths lengthwise, first cut off the ends of each cob so that it can stand on end. Use a chef's knife and a rubber mallet to gently tap the knife into the end of the cob. Continue to gently tap the end of the knife with the rubber mallet to work the knife through the cob to cut it into halves. Repeat with each half to cut each cob into four pieces. Repeat with remaining corn cobs until you get 16 ribs.Place ribs on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- Mix olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika and salt and pepper in a small bowl and baste corn ribs with it.
- Combine all the smoky mayo ingredients in a small bowl and stir until combined. Set aside.
- Place corn ribs in a 400° oven with convection on for 7 minutes. Turn ribs over and continue to bake with convection for an additional 7-8 minutes. The cobs will curl slightly which is what you want. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, arrange them on a platter to resemble a rib cage and garnish with the smoky mayo, crumbled cotija, cilantro and extra limes.
Delicious
How did you cut corn cobs into quarters????
Thank you Lisa for your question. I have updated the recipe instructions to include how I cut them into fourths. Hope this helps.
Hope you had a great Halloween.
Lori
These look great! How far in advance can you make these? Planning for my table for a Halloween party and any time I can save ahead of time would be great. Thanks!
Hi Sandy
I’d think that you could cut the cobs, prepare oil and the smoky mayo a few days (maybe at most 3 days) ahead of time, stored in the fridge, and then baked right before the party.
Lori
Thanks so much! We tested this and it’s soooo tasty! Love that spicy mayo! I’ll make that 2-3 days ahead of time and will cut the corn the night before. Can’t wait to see it all come together. Thank you!!
So glad you enjoyed it Sandy! That mayo is super tasty. Happy Halloween!
Lori