Baby back rib membrane removal

This is a simple method for the removal of the membranes on BBs that works better than pulling with paper towels. Start by working your thumb and forefinger under the membrane at the middle of the rib.



Then work your other thumb and forefinger under the membrane and begin to pull outward.



Pull all the way to the ends and you will find no tears and a complete removal. -RP

[Jenise]

Handy tip! I love that you take the time to remove that membrane. Most people don't and that's really okay too, but I love the elegance of being able to eat everything but the bone.

Gotta remember that!

John

A couple of other notes.

Recently,my wife and I had difficulty removing the membrane from baby back ribs. Then, at a BBQ class taught by a competition team, we learned some interesting tidbits. We usually purchase our ribs from Costco; the team often gets theirs from Sam's Club. According to the instructor, 90% of ribs from Sam's come with the membrane on, whereas the membrane is off 90% of Costco ribs bought at retail. So we now understand why we had trouble removing the membrane....it wasn't there!

Second piece of information is that the membrane is much easier to remove if the ribs are at room temperature. So take the ribs out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before trying to remove the membrane.

Third, as noted, if your hands are slipping off the membrane, use paper towels or cloth towels to grab and pull.

I always start by scraping the back of the rib rack with a Chinese cleaver. Once I get an initial part of the membrane pulled free, the rest comes off pretty easily by hand using the technique shown in the photographs.

It's a good idea to remove the membrane from ribs if you're doing barbecue, as it exposes more meat to the dry rub and you get more flavor.

-Paul W.

OK! I printed out this tread and followed the directions carefully. The membrane came off just as described. So I smoked the ribs and guess what? There was more membrane on the bottom. How many layers of membrane do these things have?

The ribs were still delicious with Carolina Red Sauce, baked Delicata squash, and cherry tomatoes viniagrette.

That is awesome Randy! I always use a paper towel, but now I will certainly use your method...I can't stand wasting paper towels. Thanks again for the tip and the photos!

OK! I printed out this tread and followed the directions carefully. The membrane came off just as described. So I smoked the ribs and guess what? There was more membrane on the bottom. How many layers of membrane do these things have?

The ribs were still delicious with Carolina Red Sauce, baked Delicata squash, and cherry tomatoes viniagrette.

One - it's on the bottom!

One - it's on the bottom!

Well, as I said, we took ONE off the bottom; but there was still more we found after smoking.

Why do you have to remove the membrane? I've been cooking and eating ribs for years and have never done that. I eat everything but the bone, and even then I chew on those delicious ends that have soaked up all the marinade and seasonings.

Why do you have to remove the membrane? I've been cooking and eating ribs for years and have never done that. I eat everything but the bone, and even then I chew on those delicious ends that have soaked up all the marinade and seasonings.

Karen, this is the first time we have had to deal with membranes. We got our current batch of ribs from BJs and they came complete with membranes. I use the plural deliberately. All the other baby backs we have had over the decades had had them removed before purchase.

Regards, Carl

I see, maybe that was the same with me. Is the membrane the same as silver skin?

I see, maybe that was the same with me. Is the membrane the same as silver skin?

Conceptually, yes. It is tissue that will not permit solids, liquids, or gasses to pass through. And thus your marinades and rubs don't get to the meat under the membrane. Same for the smoky flavor from the charcoal and wood....they will not pass through this membrane.

Every BBQ book I have ever read said to remove the membrane. Then, I just saw a Cooks' Illustrated article that said leave it on to preserve juices in the meat. I suspect if you do the ribs correctly, moisture stays in even without the membrane....at a minimum, the fat of the ribs should render out during cooking and keep the protein juicy.