By The Fourth of July was everything I expected and also something I hadn't expected: Caleb sat in the grass exactly as I had imagined, and when the first firework went off a few streets over he startled and looked up at the sky with an expression that was pure wonder before it was anything else — before it could become fear or excitement or any of the subsequent emotions, there was that first moment of simply: what is this and it is enormous and the sky made it. CJ was holding him and said to him quietly, those are fireworks, Caleb, it's the country's birthday, and Caleb looked at CJ and then back at the sky as if he was deciding whether to accept this explanation. He accepted it. He watched every firework that followed with complete absorption. He did not fall asleep until ten-thirty, which is very late for a baby his age, but you do not stop watching fireworks because it is past your bedtime.
Forty years ago I was a child looking at fireworks in this same neighborhood, which Bernice brought us to by the hand. Now I am standing in the yard of the house I have been in for twenty-three years watching my grandchild see them for the first time. Time works in a particular way around the same event seen across a lifetime. It bends. You see yourself at one end and you see the future at the other and you are standing in the middle of it all at once.
I grilled the ribs. They were right. They are always right on this day.
The ribs were the centerpiece, as they always are on the Fourth, but I never let them stand alone — the corn goes on the grill right alongside them, wrapped in bacon because that is the only way it should be done on a day like this. There’s something about the smoke and the sweetness together that belongs to summer in a way I can’t fully explain. Caleb won’t remember this meal, not yet, but someday I’ll make it again when he’s old enough to eat it, and I’ll tell him about the night he watched his first fireworks with complete and total absorption.
Bacon-Wrapped Corn
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 6 ears fresh corn, husked and silks removed
- 12 strips bacon (2 per ear)
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Toothpicks or soaked wooden skewers to secure
Instructions
- Prepare the grill. Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat, around 375–400°F. If using charcoal, let coals burn down to a steady, even heat with no open flame.
- Season the corn. In a small bowl, combine softened butter, smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne if using. Rub each ear of corn lightly with the seasoned butter on all sides.
- Wrap with bacon. Starting at one end, wrap each ear of corn with 2 strips of bacon, spiraling tightly from tip to base and overlapping slightly so no corn is exposed. Secure the ends with toothpicks or short skewer pieces.
- Grill the corn. Place bacon-wrapped corn directly on the grill grates. Cook for 20–25 minutes, turning every 4–5 minutes, until the bacon is fully cooked and crisped and the corn is tender throughout. Watch for flare-ups from the bacon drippings and move to indirect heat if needed.
- Rest and serve. Remove from the grill and let rest for 2–3 minutes. Remove toothpicks before serving. Season with a pinch of salt if desired and serve immediately alongside ribs or your main cookout dish.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 280 | Protein: 10g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 27g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 480mg