Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Quadman750]

All the Vets on here know but I’m posting for the complete newbies. I have cooked with the membrane on pork ribs and I have removed it as well. The membrane will get soft on a pork rib unlike a beef rib. When I am in a hurry I have just left it on pork ribs. With the back handle end of a spoon or if careful with a butter knife on top of a rib bone second rib from the end of the rack work your preferred tool under the membrane from the edge of the bone wiggling & prying carefully, I usually start at the narrow end. Once you work it through to the other side remove tool and put your finger through and pull up and off of the short end. After doing this get some paper towel and grab the membrane with the paper towel and pull the membrane all the way off. Beef ribs are the same process but a little more difficult, this membrane on beef ribs is necessary as it is too tough to eat.

[Bar-B-Lew]

Good explanation.

With baby backs, I find I rarely need the paper towel for help.  With spare ribs or STL, I find I almost always need the paper towel for extra leverage.

[ZCZ]

I find a paper towel works best.  Fairly quick as well.  This video is only 31 seconds long:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhdyUKpZ1J8

[ICIdaho]

I quit removing it on my pork ribs, I could not tell a difference and it saved me the frustration of trying to remove it.  Some came off perfectly, and other times it was a half hour exercise in futility.  If the family does not notice and I cannot tell, why bother?

[triplebq]

I find a paper towel works best.  Fairly quick as well.  This video is only 31 seconds long:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhdyUKpZ1J8

This is what I use most

[Redapple]

I find a paper towel works best.  Fairly quick as well.  This video is only 31 seconds long:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhdyUKpZ1J8

This is what I use most

Me too

[sleebus.jones]

I quit removing it on my pork ribs

Same here.  I leave it on.  Eats just fine, and helps give a bit of buffer from the heat coming from below.

[LowSlowJoe]

I think like many things in life, a little practice and the process becomes a bit easier...

I know years ago, I found peeling the membrane off to be a pain in the butt... however, I gave it another try a year or two ago, and it worked pretty well ( using paper towel as the grip enhancer ).   I've done it at least a dozen times since, and it just doesn't seem very hard anymore.

[Clonesmoker]

After eating ribs at the Commissary in Memphis, I no longer remove the membrane as they don't and they have great ribs. St. Louis style!!

[Bar-B-Lew]

After eating ribs at the Commissary in Memphis, I no longer remove the membrane as they don't and they have great ribs. St. Louis style!!

I need to get back there one day.  Only made it once in the 4 years that I lived there and I only lived 8 miles away from it.

[dk117]

one st louis rack, three baby backs.  Some trimming and silver skin removed this morning.  Took under 20 mins total including thirding and marinating and cleanup.   I don't see the downside of removal, it's part of the prep process and even on st louis it's not that time consuming.   Great video ZCZ. 

DK

[bregent]

I've done some very limited A/B testing - not enough to reach a definitive conclusion- but ribs with the membrane left on have been turning out moister than the ones with it removed. More testing is in order.

[Canadian John]

 Right on

I've done some very limited A/B testing - not enough to reach a definitive conclusion- but ribs with the membrane left on have been turning out moister than the ones with it removed. More testing is in order.

Right on..Holds moisture and almost no meat on that side or the rack to season.