Rib membrane


 
S

Stephen S.

New member
I know this has probably been thoroughly discussed before, but since I'm a newbie, I'll bring it up again. I was reading an article on another web site (TexasBBQ), that leaving the membrane on ribs helped seal in the juices. Any comment?
 
Sure, I'll comment: Leaving the membrane on is lazy.

Though the membrane could be thought of as a bit of a barrier, its presence hardly 'seals in juices'. There are other areas of egress. (The great myth of barbecue and grilling is that anything seals in juices.)

Overcooking is what makes ribs dry, the presence or lack of a 'seal' notwithstanding. Cooking till done--and not further--is what results in a moist, tender finish, also notwithstanding the presence or lack of a 'seal'.

Little irritates me more than ordering ribs at a joint and getting membrane-on ribs served to me. The lack of attention is galling.
 
After 49 years of outdoors cooking, earlier
this year I forgot and left the membrane
on two slabs of baby backs. It was not a
good thing. For me membrane removal is mandatory.
If your are going to take the time to do ribs
right, membrane removal takes less than a minute.
Time well spent.
 
I agree The membrane must go. Doesn't make any sense to me to cook ribs for a certain number of hours, but not take a few minutes to remove the membrane. Don't have to go crazy about it either. Miss a bit here or there, no big thing, but try to get it all if possible.
I don't want to disagree with Kevin. I might find a large man knocking on my door
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Kevin, I agree. I've asked at several rib joints in Chicago and this was the response I got.

In the restaurant business time is money. The owners / managers feel that the time removing membranes is wasted time. Doing a couple of slabs is no problem but when you have to peel 50 or more slabs it equates into wasted time. They feel that during cooking the membrane becomes soft and easily bitten through.



<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
Sure, I'll comment: Leaving the membrane on is lazy.

Though the membrane could be thought of as a bit of a barrier, its presence hardly 'seals in juices'. There are other areas of egress. (The great myth of barbecue and grilling is that anything seals in juices.)

Overcooking is what makes ribs dry, the presence or lack of a 'seal' notwithstanding. Cooking till done--and not further--is what results in a moist, tender finish, also notwithstanding the presence or lack of a 'seal'.

Little irritates me more than ordering ribs at a joint and getting membrane-on ribs served to me. The lack of attention is galling. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
 
Steve--

I have seen that same sorry excuse from joint owners and caterers numerous times on forums. It's as crass and unprofessional as it is greedy. If these 'professionals' (I use the term very loosely) can't be bothered to spend a few seconds to further prep the ribs for their customers they certainly don't need my money.

The membrane frequently doesn't become 'soft and easily bitten through', it becomes rubbery or crispy and annoying--depending on how the ribs were cooked or reheated. Any cook with a modicum of rib prep experience could cut 50 full slabs to a St Louis trim--including membrane removal--in no more than an hour.

In my experience (many hundreds of Q joints visited) something like being served membrane-on ribs is always one of several telltale signs of a poorly operated business. It never exists as the sole problem.


Kevin


P.S. to Dave: Large? Me? LOL. 5'9" 158 lbs! Disagree all you want!
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Stephen

Definitely remove the membrane. I use the tip of a butter knife to get under the membrane, then I use a paper towel to grab it and slowly peel it off. Now you have a nice surface to put your rib rub on.
 
Wether i cook a couple of slabs for home, a bunch for a comp or a ton when i cater, i always remove the membrane! Quality and personal attention to every little detail is what seperates how people from this forum do BBQ compared to alot of Q'joints out there! Dont ever sacrifice quality for quantity!
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Windy City Smokers
 
Relative to this, I do have a question.
Is it easy to go too deeply with the knife when trying to lift the membrane and get under that 2nd membrane, or do you really have to go crazy and gauge in there to do that?
 
I don't think it's "easy", just don't really gourge with the kinfe when you lift the membane. I use a table knife, rather than a kitchen knife. I also use a paper towel when I begin to pull and reposition as I pull so the membrane doesn't break off.

Paul
 
I was just wondering how careful you have to be in getting the removal started. I've done it a few times now and haven't had rib bones all over the place, so I must have only taken the top membrane. As for paper towels, I agree, that membrane is way too slippery to get off otherwise.
 
My secret, run the knife blade along the bone, not the meat. The membrane lifts up with no problem that way.

If a one-armed man can skin six racks while I look the other way, you can too.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JRPfeff:
My secret, run the knife blade along the bone, not the meat. The membrane lifts up with no problem that way.

If a one-armed man can skin six racks while I look the other way, you can too. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I bet you had the whip in your hands, too!
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Thanks everyone, I've always removed the membrane in the past, that's why I found the other article a little odd. I failed to remove it on a 1/2 rack one time, & after a 4 1/2 hr. cook, it was still a bit leathery.
 
Well I'll post my opinion here again since my first post was removed. I thought I was politcally correct in my first post but I guess I was wrong.
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Remove the membrane YES! I always do and you should too.
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">They feel that during cooking the membrane becomes soft and easily bitten through. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Just excuses for laziness.

I've had other people's ribs where they didn't bother to remove the membrane and I've never seen the membrane get soft during cooking - unless they mean soft like dried out shoe leather soft. It's always been tough, dry and impossible to bite through.
 
Regarding removal of the membrane - I have been doing it a little differently lately and it seems to work very well. I use baby backs so this may not work so well with spares. Basically, I've found the best place to start is at the small/thinest end of the slab. Then, I just take some paper towel and just grab the membrane. Usually that gets it started and I pull it from there. It seems to pull easiest and cleanest if I go from small end to large end. YMMV.
 
so no one else pulls the membrane off with your bare hands?? I tried using a paper towel once when removing the membrane but it didn't feel right and I had a hard time holding on. Doing it with my fingers just seems more right and I've never had a problem with the membranes slipping. Also, same with starting it out, never use a knife, screwdriver, etc. Just do it like Jerry N and start at the smaller end of the baby backs gently put my finger nail under the corners and start it out. Many, many, many baby backs later have found no reason to change.

Adrian
 
I'm a take it off guy. I use a butter knife and go in along a bone about the middle of the slab. I work it until I can get my finger in and pull it off. No paper towel for me.

As far as costs time, yea I get that. I have a friend who owns a restaraunt and they specialize in ribs. He buys his ribs with the membrane already removed. He said the cost difference was minimal. Sounds like a lame excuse to me.
 
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