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Are You A Typewriter or a Surgeon? Learn Your Corn on the Cob Style

You may already know your astrological sign or your Myers-Briggs type—but what about your corn-eating category?
By and Published July 12, 2022

I’ve always been fascinated by the way people eat. I don’t mean their preferred diet or list of favorite foods, but rather how they get that food into their mouths. Which hands do they hold their fork and knife in? Do they eat raspberries by topping each finger tip with one and then eating them à la Amélie

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This year I turned my focus to corn on the cob. I eat my corn differently than most of my family. But I wondered: Am I alone in my eating style? How many different ways are there to eat this simple late summer treat? 

The results of my (highly imperfect) first person research are what I’ve dubbed the 6 Unofficial Techniques for Eating Corn on the Cob. 

They are: The Typewriter, The Logrunner, The Anarchist, The Hybrid, The Chainsaw, and The Surgeon.

What kind of corn on the cob eater are you? Check out this video for a quick overview of each technique.

And then, learn all about corn on the cob and why the best boiled corn isn’t boiled at all:

Grilled Corn on the Cob

What really matters is when the corn was picked and how it's been stored.
Get the Recipe

Sous Vide Butter-Poached Corn on the Cob

You wouldn't guess it, but corn goes on the list of vegetables (which also includes carrots, sweet potatoes, and parsnips) that benefit significantly from sous vide cooking.
Get the Recipe

Microwaved Corn on the Cob

What really matters is when the corn was picked and how it's been stored.
Get the Recipe

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JC
JOHN C.
16 days

Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too. I've done this using a rimmed sheet pan instead of a skillet and put veggies and potatoes around the chicken for a one-pan meal. Broccoli gets nicely browned and yummy!

Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too.

MD
MILES D.
JOHN C.
9 days

Amazed this recipe works out as well as it does. Would not have thought that the amount of time under the broiler would have produced a very juicy and favorable chicken with a very crispy crust. Used my 12" Lodge Cast Iron skillet (which can withstand 1000 degree temps to respond to those who wondered if it would work) and it turned out great. A "make again" as my family rates things. This is a great recipe, and I will definitely make it again. My butcher gladly butterflied the chicken for me, therefore I found it to be a fast and easy prep. I used my cast iron skillet- marvellous!

CM
CHARLES M.
11 days

John, wasn't it just amazing chicken? So much better than your typical oven baked chicken and on par if not better than gas or even charcoal grilled. It gets that smokey charcoal tasted and overnight koshering definitely helps, something I do when time permits. First-time I've pierced a whole chicken minus the times I make jerk chicken on the grill. Yup, the cast iron was not an issue.