The Project: Naked ribs, dude food and more for the Memorial Day weekend

Each Friday, we post a recipe from the L.A. Times' Test Kitchen that's perfect for weekend cooking. This week's pick will help you usher in summer: naked ribs. This recipe is an all-time favorite with readers and made our Top Test list in 2008. (And I swear I am not just saying that because the recipe was crafted by Times Food editor Russ Parsons for his California Cook column on the joys of grilling.)

In fact, I get so many requests for this recipe that I keep the link handy in my files for the guys -- and it's almost always a guy -- who writes to ask "You ran a rib recipe awhile back and I can't find my copy ... ."

It's Dude Food, people!

But we've got much more as we prepare to usher in the unofficial start of summer with this Memorial Day weekend: Here are 37 other recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen for chillin' and grillin' this holiday weekend and beyond. Enjoy.

As always, if you try this or any other recipe from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen, we want to see the finished dish so that we can showcase it on our blog and occassionally in print. You can upload your photos to this gallery.

ALSO:

Got a great burger recipe? Enter the L.A. Times battle of the burgers

Celebuchef Nancy Silverton shares her focaccia secrets

Browse hundreds of recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen

--Rene Lynch
Twitter.com/renelynch

Photo: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[chris]

I enjoy your post on the food scene and think the people who follow you would love know about a twist for a local charity! On July 24th Roy’s will host our fun Charity Chow Down Hot Dog Eating Contest for the Make a Wish Foundation

Anybody, men or women are welcome to enter the Charity Chow Down. Proceeds from the Hot Dog Eating contest are to be donated to the Make a Wish Foundation of the Bay Area. Our goal is to make every child’s wish to come true!

feel free to share this with anyone
http://eatatroys.com/charitychowdown

and our flier
http://eatatroys.com/charitychowdown2011.pdf

Keep up the great work!

Chris

[PeterD]

Ideally you'd want to use a dedicated smoker (like the Weber Smoky Mountain) for these, but the offset method described works well too. I would make two very distinct changes to the process:

1) Use apple, cherry or pecan (any two of these three work well). I find hickory a little too strong. Maybe if used sparingly with apple or cherry.

2) Put a pan of water under the ribs. It will act as a heat sink to help regulate the temperature better. Don't waste money on wine or beer in there, just tap water will do the trick. You want your grill's surface temp around 250 degrees at the most. I smoke between 225 and 240 grate-temp.

I think 2 hours is pushing it a bit, too. Another good technique is the Texas Crutch. After a couple of hours, wrap the ribs in foil and add about 1/2 a cup of apple juice. Put the foiled slabs (one slab per foil pouch) back on for about 45 minutes. At that point, unfoil and put back on the grate for another half-hour. Sauce them if you like at this point and the sauce will carmelize onto the ribs for a gorgeous presentation. Try cutting KC Masterpiece sauce with a bit of honey or maple syrup.

Note: MEAT FALLING OFF THE BONE IS BAD! That means they are over-done and will be lifeless. The perfect rib, if you take a bite out of it, will be ultra-tender and will leave a bite-mark in the meat. It should pull off the bone with very little effort but not fall off.