Rib Membrane??

[Panupat]

Ive read the opposite, that the membrane shrinks, causing the moisture to sqeeze out of the meat. I even think someone did a test via Sous vide showing more juices in the bag with the membrane still on vs the membrane removed. Of course there are other variables but i recall the weight of each sample to be the same. But theres also bone weight that was probably not accounted for.

It does shrink but not to the effect you imagined. If you leave it on and check after 2 hours on the smoker the membrane would actually bulge up. You can tell there's full of juice inside. Then after 4-5 hours, they tear apart and shrink. Somewhat disintegrate even without searing on high heat.

 

[Cook]

I believe leaving it on or taking it off is 100% personal preference...and it's sort of pompous to call someone lazy because they choose to leave it on. If you call yourself lazy, well, that's another story altogether.

I've done it all three ways...peel it, leave it, score it.

I haven't peeled one in years & don't intend to.

 

[BillN]

I usually remove it but I kind of like eating it, however others I cook for prefer membrane off.

 

[medic92]

I've been scoring mine and I've had several people (my wife included) tell me they don't normally care for ribs but can't quit eating mine. My (ridiculously extremely picky) brother can't stand the membrane and hasn't noticed that I'm not peeling mine. Personally I don't notice a difference. I'm going to skip scoring them tomorrow and see what happens.

 

[IamMadMan]

I've been scoring mine and I've had several people (my wife included) tell me they don't normally care for ribs but can't quit eating mine. My (ridiculously extremely picky) brother can't stand the membrane and hasn't noticed that I'm not peeling mine. Personally I don't notice a difference. I'm going to skip scoring them tomorrow and see what happens.

Great Idea for experiment, keep us posted.....

 

[TuscaloosaQ]

I never even heard of pulling the membrane off of ribs before joining this forum a few years ago... I starting pulling the membrane at times... then it got to the point where I started feeling guilty for some reason if I did not pull the membrane.... it was like someone had their thumb in my back nudging me saying..."Hey boy you didn't pull that membrane".... now I might pull it and I might not... it's not that I'm lazy.... it's that I dont really care... and don't notice a difference... my brothers and sisters ask me one day when they saw me pulling the membrane what i was doing.... then I had to explain about the thumb in my back..... it really matters not to me..... there are a couple places here that cook many ribs everyday over an open pit.... they sell tons of ribs and never pull the membrane... it's all about preference to me

 

[KevinJ]

it's not that I'm lazy.... it's that I dont really care...

 

[minAL]

Same here Paul. Never did it until it became the thing to do. So I started doing it. Now I cook ribs everyday and don't do it. I can't tell a difference and I sell out everyday.

 

[Sevengoals]

I always remove it.

 

[m-fine]

How well do you think rub flavors and smoke penetrate the membrane to get into the meat?

 

[upStomp]

I usually remove it, but I'm never disgusted with myself if I "forget" to do it from time to time.

 

[Twisted T's Q]

How well do you think rub flavors and smoke penetrate the membrane to get into the meat?

I think smoke and rub penetrates the same regardless if the membrane is on or off . I have cooked a lot of ribs both ways and I don't notice any difference ....

 

[IamMadMan]

How well do you think rub flavors and smoke penetrate the membrane to get into the meat?

If you are worried that it won't penetrate the membrane, then only put rub on the top of the ribs...

 

[Cook]

How well do you think rub flavors and smoke penetrate the membrane to get into the meat?

Only put rub on the top of the ribs...

I have yet to only eat the top or bottom half of a rib. I bite straight through 100% of the time.

We're eating ribs here...it's not some science experiment where we test how much taste was transferred. I guarantee no one would know the difference if you removed the meat & mixed it up and did a side-by-side.

 

[medic92]

Great Idea for experiment, keep us posted.....

Well, I smoked 13 racks of ribs and sold 11. Turns out the wife started telling people we were sold out because she wanted the last two. My brother got his customary rack and hasn't called to chew me out. So he hasn't noticed. My wife hasn't mentioned any difference so I guess she didn't notice either.

I haven't heard from any customers either so I guess scoring/removing the membrane has been a big waste of time for me.

 

[IamMadMan]

Well, I smoked 13 racks of ribs and sold 11. Turns out the wife started telling people we were sold out because she wanted the last two. My brother got his customary rack and hasn't called to chew me out. So he hasn't noticed. My wife hasn't mentioned any difference so I guess she didn't notice either.

I haven't heard from any customers either so I guess scoring/removing the membrane has been a big waste of time for me.

Thanks for the update...

 

[Mr.OiSat]

I always remove the membrane. A few weeks ago I've been to a Restaurant where they didn't remove it and I didn't like the texture when I ate them.

 

[Panupat]

If you are worried that it won't penetrate the membrane, then only put rub on the top of the ribs...

When you stack the ribs that way, won't the ones above rip off the rub on the ones below?

 

[IamMadMan]

When you stack the ribs that way, won't the ones above rip off the rub on the ones below?

No more than a couple granules. They don't sit there long, they are pressed into the rub and then stacked until I go to the other side of the table. Once on the other side of the table, they are put into the smoker, all in a matter of a few minutes.

 

[stangman327]

Yesterday I did not remove the membrane and I couldn't tell a difference so I think from this point I'll be leaving it on until further notice.