Rib Silverskin = Moist?


 
T

TravisH

TVWBB All-Star
On Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, Guy was in Kansas City and visited Woodyard Bar-B-Que.

The Pitmaster was doing baby backs but did not remove the silverskin saying it help keep the ribs moist.

I've not heard that before.


BTW, he did his ribs on an old brick pit, not exactly indirect as the wood fire was about 3~4ft below the rib grate and I didn't see any baffle plate, just grates.

Interesting, his rub seemed to be equal parts - Tumeric, Sea Salt, Ground Cardamom, Ground Glove, Granulated Garlic, Cayenne Pepper, Lemon Pepper. No Sugar. Also no mop, no baste, no foil, and they finished in about 3 hours. Served without sauce.
 
I've had to stop paying attention to one off comments from various pitmasters. If the comment isn't backed up by a bit of explanation rooted in actual experimentation, I have to discard it.

Its fairly simple though, dry ribs are overcooked, nothing more.

The pitmaster might have a point though:

1) I can't imagine skinning the many ribs that a busy restaurant requires. His statement may be a way to justify the fact that they don't have time to skin that many ribs.

2) The skin may prevent rendered fat from leaving the underside of the rib, which wouldn't be a problem during home cooking where you watch each rack and pull them before the get overdone. However in a restaurant where many many racks are being cooked all at the same time, the membrane might be a bit of insurance if a few get overcooked.
 
I'm pretty sure that in a recent newsletter/email from Texas BBQ Rub, Bill said that he doesn't remove the membrane, echoing Jeff's statement about holding in the juices.

Might effect the tender test though, IMO.
 
I've had to stop paying attention to one off comments from various pitmasters.
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Hear, hear.

The notion that the membrane 'helps keep ribs moist' is without merit - and betrays an amazing lack of knowledge from one, presumably, who has cooked enough for long enough to have learned otherwise. This seems to be fairly common, however, among 'pitmasters', no matter what their level of comp success, restaurant success, TV shows, etc. So many repeating the same tired, inexplicable, erroneous mantras...

Though a membrane - if up, not down - might thwart some evaporation, water will work its way out as temps rise and the muscle fibers are squeezed. A membrane ain't gonna stop that from occurring. Food science 101. It is fairly simple. Dry ribs are overcooked.
 
Amen Kevin!! Probably goes back to what J was saying not enough time to skin them ribs when you're going through that much food in a day. I've cooked them with skin and without. To me they taste the same. I kinda like tearing that cooked skin off them rib bones
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My butcher says don't remove the membrane when cooking ribs because "they'll fall apart." This hasn't been my experience but everyone is entitled to their uni"que" thoughts.
 
I saw the tail end of that segment, and what sticks out to me is the rub.

I think it odd that a place that prides itself on it's rib rub would make it public, but anybody tried anything like it?
 
Well, from the looks of it, it isn't appealing (I've long ago abandoned the notion that 'the public' is very discerning when it comes to commercial Q.

The turmeric will add bulk and color but nothing else to speak of. I often use cardamom and clove - but not in those ratios if in fact all were of equal volume. To me the profile here is narrow and not well thought out (just my opinion) and the only way it would kinda sorta work is if applied lightly and/or the cook relied on much of it coming off during cooking. This would be in line with the typical, woefully underseasoned ribs that so many places put out, and would particularly be in line with those that grill their ribs, like Rendezvous, that, to me, require sauce, if I'm planning to eat more that a bite or two.
 
Originally posted by K Kruger:
Well, from the looks of it, it isn't appealing (I've long ago abandoned the notion that 'the public' is very discerning when it comes to commercial Q.

The turmeric will add bulk and color but nothing else to speak of. I often use cardamom and clove - but not in those ratios if in fact all were of equal volume. To me the profile here is narrow and not well thought out (just my opinion) and the only way it would kinda sorta work is if applied lightly and/or the cook relied on much of it coming off during cooking. This would be in line with the typical, woefully underseasoned ribs that so many places put out, and would particularly be in line with those that grill their ribs, like Rendezvous, that, to me, require sauce, if I'm planning to eat more that a bite or two.
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Thanks for your take, Kevin!

Yeah, I thought the ratio for the ingredients sounded kind of crazy. I've heard that the cardemon is good in beef rubs.
 
It is. It's especially nice with one or more 'sweet' spices (like clove, allspice, fenugreek, etc.), black, white and green peppercorn, and works well with aromatics (garlic, onion, ginger), and with thyme and bay, among other things.

You've got a rub to try right there.
 
also, i'm pretty sure those were lamb ribs he was cooking in that segment, which would change the flavor profile and explain the weird rub.
 
Originally posted by JeffS:
also, i'm pretty sure those were lamb ribs he was cooking in that segment, which would change the flavor profile and explain the weird rub.
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I could've sworn the dude said they were babybacks, and they looked that way to me.
 
membrane on ribs are as worthless as tits on a bore hog , dry ribs are just overcooked, cook ribs at 275 and u will never have a problem
 
Being I live in Kansas City.....

I haven't heard of Woodyard BBQ....

Now if he was at Gates/Arthur Bryant's etc... I might believe it.
 
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