My husband Austin has been asking me the same question on repeat ever since we got temps above 80 degrees: “Ready to get grillin’?”

We have a charcoal grill (an absolute pain to get going and clean), so my answer has been an easy “Nope! Not yet!”

But, as Austin’s luck would have it, I saw a recipe that instantly struck inspiration and convinced me that it might not be so bad to stack up some charcoal bricks, toss ’em in lighter fluid, get an even temperature (so hard), and ever-so-carefully try not to burn our food (also so hard).

The recipe that got me willing to tangle with the grill again? NYT Cooking’s Corn Ribs by Melissa Knific. I read through the recipe and thought, “Wow what a novel, fun, flavorful take on a summer staple – and I wonder how I can adapt this to make a meal out of all of this effort.” Because chefs, beware, it does take a lot of labor to prepare this dish! And, the directions come with their own warning: Preparing corn ribs takes patience and a very, very sharp knife.

Thankfully you boil the corn first for five minutes to help soften the cores so the corn ribs are easier to slice. After boiling, you quickly put the cobs in an ice bath to cool.

Before I started chopping, I went digging through my drawers for my largest chef’s knife and got out the sharpener. I wanted to be sure slicing would be as easy (and as safe) as possible. Also, since this was my first go with this recipe, I watched a YouTube video (my favorite form of cooking education) to hone my corn-chopping technique. I learned that the cobs should be patted dry before slicing, as slippery kernels will create even more instability for the tall, teetering cobs. And you should use rocking motion to slowly slice through the center of the cobs – and don’t rush it. Slow = safe!

This recipe has you shuck ears of corn in whole pieces, leaving the kernels on the cob. You’re essentially quartering the corn – hence the need for your sharpest, most stable knife. After you’ve muscled through all that, you’ll coat your ribs in a barbecue-inspired spice blend before tossing them onto the grill. For our charcoal grill, we dropped the tray down low and watched them carefully.

As they cook, the corn ribs begin to curl and they end up resembling pork ribs, thus earning their name. (They’re also eaten similarly, as the cob functions similarly to the pork bone.)

Afterward, I threw them in a bowl with some melted butter and gave them a few shakes. At this point, you can serve the corn ribs as is, or with a creamy, spicy or herby dip. As I mentioned earlier, it was one of my goals for this “side dish” to function as a whole meal, so I personally chose to make an herby dip, spread it out thinly on my plate, layered in a piece of grilled white fish, and then topped it with our gorgeous, hard-earned corn ribs.

CORN RIBS

Adapted from NYT Cooking “Corn Ribs” by Melissa Knific

Ingredients:
4 ears corn, quartered
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
4 tablespoons butter, cubed
Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving

Instructions:
■ Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and cold water. Once water is boiling, add corn and boil for five minutes. Using tongs, remove cobs and transfer them to the ice bath until just cool.
■ Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper and cayenne. Heat a grill or large grill pan to medium-high.
■ Thoroughly dry the corn, then, using a very sharp, large knife, trim both ends of each ear of corn. On a flat, stable surface, stand up one ear of corn vertically and carefully slice it in half lengthwise. (Do this slowly, using a rocking motion. If you feel more comfortable, the ears can first be cut crosswise into two smaller cobs before this step.) Place each half on the surface, flat side down, and slice each in half lengthwise. Each ear of corn will produce four ribs (or eight if they’re halved crosswise first, for ease).
■ Transfer corn ribs to a large bowl, drizzle with the oil and gently toss to coat. Sprinkle with the spice mixture and toss again.
■ Grill corn (covered, if using a gas grill), kernels side down, until charred in spots, four to six minutes.
■ Immediately return grilled corn ribs to the large bowl and gently toss with the butter until melted. Serve warm, sprinkled with fresh parsley and with a sauce for dipping, if desired.