Sweetcorn Ribs with Chilli-Lime Butter and Cotija

Ingredients

• 4 corn on the cob, husks and silks removed
• 1 tbsp neutral oil (sunflower or vegetable)
• flaky sea salt
• 100 g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1½ tsp mild chilli powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika, divided
• 1 tsp ground cumin, divided
• zest of 2 limes
• juice of 1 lime
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 60 g cotija cheese, crumbled (or feta if you can't find cotija)
• 1 small bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked and roughly chopped
• 1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced (optional)
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Method

1. Get your BBQ ripping hot with a direct-heat zone, or set a heavy cast-iron griddle pan over high heat for a full 5 minutes until it's smoking and you can feel the heat on your forearm from a foot away. Sweetcorn needs serious heat to char before it goes mushy; a lukewarm grill steams the kernels instead of caramelising them.
2. Now the technique that makes the dish. Stand a cob upright on a board, hold the top firmly, and with your sharpest, heaviest knife press straight down through the centre; rock the blade rather than sawing. Lay each half cut-side down and halve again lengthways into quarters. They'll look like ribs. A blunt knife is genuinely dangerous here, so take your time and slide a damp tea towel under the board to stop it slipping.
3. Make the butter while the grill heats. Tip the chilli powder, smoked paprika and cumin into a dry small pan over low heat and toast for 30–60 seconds, swirling constantly, until they smell warm and nutty. Tip them straight into the softened butter so they don't catch.
4. Mash the toasted spices into the butter with the grated garlic, lime zest, lime juice and the fine sea salt until you have a loose, terracotta-coloured paste. Taste it. It should be punchy, salty and properly sharp from the lime juice, because half of it will melt away on the grill.
5. Rub the corn quarters all over with the neutral oil and season generously with flaky salt; season the kernels themselves, so don't be shy. Don't butter them yet: milk solids burn black and bitter at this heat, so the butter goes on at the end.
6. Lay the quarters cut-side down on the grill or griddle in a single layer with space between each piece; crowd the pan and they'll steam in their own moisture instead of charring. Work in two batches if you need to. Leave them alone for 3–4 minutes; resist the urge to fiddle. You're looking for deep golden-brown char marks with blackened tips on the kernels; that scorched edge is where the sugars caramelise and the flavour lives. Turn onto the second cut side for another 2–3 minutes, then roll onto the rounded husk side for a final minute until the kernels blister and pop.
7. Pull the ribs onto a warm platter. While they're still hissing, brush them generously with the chilli-lime butter; it should melt on contact and run down into the kernels. Use roughly two-thirds now and keep the rest in a warm bowl for the table.
8. Scatter the crumbled cotija over while the butter is still glossy so it clings, then shower with chopped coriander and the sliced red chilli if using. Tuck the lime wedges around the platter and squeeze one over the lot just before it hits the middle of the table.