Recipes: Our Memorial Day Weekend Menu

Stock your cooler and get the grill hot: Memorial Day weekend is almost here! Whether you’re planning one of your legendary backyard parties or enjoying a simple meal on the porch, consider serving one or more of our favorite summertime recipes: Alexandre Dumas Potato Salad Lighten up the classic potato salad with James Beard's preferred version, which is moistened with olive oil and white wine instead of mayonnaise. Chile–Lime Skirt Steak Martha Hall Foose gets maximum tenderness and flavor out of skirt steak by applying a tangy marinade. Smoked Pineapple-Braised St. Louis Spare Ribs with Blackberry Barbeque Sauce If you're feeling really ambitious this long weekend, why not dive in and make Chris Lilly’s award-winning St. Louis spare ribs? You’ll be forever known as a grill master after you make this these slow-and-low showstoppers. Lobster Roll Those of you who don't boast the latest Weber and a manicured yard can make this crowd-pleasing New England classic; it's a nice break from the endless burgers and hot dogs. Fruit Sorbet The last thing we want to do during summer is turn up the oven dial. Instead of baking a dessert, spare yourself the extra heat and make sorbet. James Beard’s basic method is a bit unconventional (he freezes the fruit mixture in ice cube trays), but still delicious and refreshing. You can use any fresh fruit you can find at the market. (This week we’re eying the strawberries.) Mango–Mezcal Paloma Cocktail Not in the mood for an ice-cold brewsky? Try this lively tequila and mezcal–based cocktail from Margaritte Malfy and Barbara Sibley of New York City’s La Palapa. (The recipe yields a single serving, but can be easily adjusted for the punch bowl.)