Ribs, do you have to remove the membrane? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: Yesterday 9:40:51 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Clarinath][Edited]
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BBQ bosses, what do you say? I will be cooking it in a pellet grill, recipes are appreciated as well… |
Pone semina in fundas ut aliquid crescat ubi morieris.
WE SEEK NOT YOUR COUNSEL, NOR YOUR ARMS
WE SEEK NOT YOUR COUNSEL, NOR YOUR ARMS
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Yes Some people leave it. Some people cut slits into it. They're lazy and F-ed in the head. Remove. It's a little bit of a pain, but not much and well worth it. Anyone who disagrees is rationalizing and sucks.
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"Positive rights" are neither.
Busy leaving people the F alone.
Busy leaving people the F alone.
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I do. Not that hard if you use a paper towel for grip.Attached File |
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Try it both ways and come to your own conclusion. I normally do. But I rarely smoke ribs these days. It's a lot of bother for a little bit of meat and I hate paying for bones. I just stick to butts when it comes to pork. |
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| I don’t, and I don’t think it really matters if you do the rest of the process correctly. If inclined just score and season. |
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I was unaware, for the longest time. Once I was shown, a few years back - Now I always pull them right off with a pair of pliers. Easie Peasie. It's so easy to do, why would you leave it on? - I smoke my ribs - BTW Low and slow, fall apart tender, bone will usually slip right out. (I've been meaning to do a batch. May have to fire that Mastercraft up.) |
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Originally Posted By BobRoberts: I don’t, and I don’t think it really matters if you do the rest of the process correctly. If inclined just score and season. I don't think that OP was asking about cooking in the Crock Pot.
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"Positive rights" are neither.
Busy leaving people the F alone.
Busy leaving people the F alone.
| No just score it with a sharp knife, in an X pattern. No problem. I have bought and built all kinds of tools to remove this and nothing is foolproof so score it and you score! |
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Originally Posted By TriggerM: I've removed it, and left it on. Never noticed a difference. I quit removing it. Just make sure and slather in mustard! there's not much meat on the back, so its not like you really get any benefit from it anyways. not much upside to having your rub mostly on the bones. |
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If I’m smoking the whole rack…yes. If I’m smoking “party ribs”…no. Both ways they turn out great. Attached File |
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I smoked ribs for years and never did. I assumed everyone left them on. I just thought that was part of the texture of eating ribs until I entered some competitions with my dad and discovered that it’s pretty much expected to remove it. I never noticed much of a flavor difference with or without membrane. Mostly a texture thing. Some people like it. Some people prefer it off. |
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Originally Posted By Waldo: Try it both ways and come to your own conclusion. I normally do. But I rarely smoke ribs these days. It's a lot of bother for a little bit of meat and I hate paying for bones. I just stick to butts when it comes to pork. |
Always blame autocorrect.
| I always try and fail more than half the time. The stuff tears and rips and comes off in little pieces. I believe that when people make videos showing how to do it, they specifically pick a slab that they can tell has a thick membrane. Either that, or they only post the video where it actually comes off after who knows how many failures. |
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You don’t have to but i always recommend it. I’ve been on a good luck streak with Costco lately with all my baby’s backs coming with the membrane already removed. Cooked 6 slabs yesterday. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By glock27bill: I always try and fail more than half the time. The stuff tears and rips and comes off in little pieces. I believe that when people make videos showing how to do it, they specifically pick a slab that they can tell has a thick membrane. Either that, or they only post the video where it actually comes off after who knows how many failures. ive never picked them based on membrane, and they have always come off fine, sometimes i may take two pulls on it. I always start on the first rib at the widest end |
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Only beef here. For smoking a whole slab of short ribs to make Fred Flintstone Dino-pops, I absolutely do remove the silver skin. For long-boned BBQ beef spare ribs that get partially smoker'ed and then finished on a hot BBQ grille, I leave the silver skin backing on because I like the crumbly burnt papery vellum texture. Also because it's had as hell to tear off because it really only tears off in fragments even if you think you know some kind of magic trick to remove it. |
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"I don't mind some dong" - Rustynutzz
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Originally Posted By MadMonkey:
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Originally Posted By Bophades45: I remove it probably 80% of the time. If you’re cooking for yourself or at home, it’s not that big of a deal. Only in competitions is it really a dealbreaker to leave the membrane on. Competition ribs cater to what the judges want not necessarily what people like. |
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Ribs, do you have to remove the membrane? (Page 1 of 2)
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