I first ate these at Konban in New York and was quickly obsessed – primarily with the cheese seasoning with which they covered the corn ribs. After some experimentation, I've come up with a decent copy cat recipe of the seasoning. I've only ever tried cooking corn ribs via frying or baking, but from perusing the internet I know an air fryer also works fine too.
What you'll need
Ingredients
- 2 ears of corn
- 33 grams of cheddar cheese powder, i.e. 1 packet of cheese powder from a 6 oz box of Annie's Mac & Cheese (Classic or Aged Cheddar)
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Baking only: olive oil
- Frying only: high-heat oil (e.g. avocado or peanut oil)
Equipment
- Depending on cooking method…
- Oven: Baking sheet
- Frying: Pot or wok
- Cleaver
- Cutting board
- Sieve (for sifting powder onto ribs)
Instructions
- If baking, preheat oven to 450ºF (~230ºC). If frying, heat oil to 350ºF (~175ºC)
- Mix all the dry ingredients together into a small bowl to form the seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- To cut the corn, start by using a cleaver to cut the corn in half crosswise. For the next cut, position the half-corn vertically with the cut end on the bottom. Cut the corn in half once again lengthwise. Finding the exact middle makes this cut easier – if you're off by a bit, it's tougher to cut. Finally, lay the corn quarter flat on the cutting board and cut lengthwise for the final eighth (see photos below for reference).
- If frying, pat corn ribs dry with a paper towel and then place them into the oil such that one edge of the corncob (the white part of the ear of corn) is face down. Fry on each side for at least 2 minutes to cook through. You can continue to fry to reach desired brownness. Be careful of oil spatters, because the corn kernels have a decent amount of water content.
- If baking, place corn ribs on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil (I usually just rub the oil into the corn with my hands). Bake for at least 25 minutes to cook through, flipping the ribs over half way through. Continue baking until desired brownness is reached.
- Once fried or baked, let the corn cool until it's not too hot to handle with your hands. Using a sieve, sprinkle the cheese seasoning on the ribs, making sure to cover all sides. I've found the best coverage by holding the sieve at least 4 inches above the corn ribs and lightly tapping it as I move it over the corn.
- Serve immediately while still warm.
For the third cut, I sometimes need to smack the cleaver wedged into the corn onto the cutting board to cut it through. I recommend making sure your other hand is not on the cutting board while you do this.
