Removing the membrane from baby back ribs

By on December 22, 2011 in Pork, Tips and Tricks

Welp, this is my first official post here at the BBQ Bros Blog!  As you guys are going to find out very quickly, I am not a pro and certainly will NEVER act like I am.  I’m just a guy that loves to BBQ and wants to share my successes and failures in hope that you will leave comments and share your thoughts/ideas as well, creating an environment where we’re all learning from each other.  Having said that, I thought it would be appropriate to post a video of me walking you through how I like to remove that pesky membrane off some baby backs.  When I first started off, I was pretty bad at it and got pretty frustrated, but I just took my time and eventually got the hang of it.  I’ve seen guys using knives or spoons or other utensils, but I’ve found as long as you can just get a grip on the narrow end of the rack, that should be all she wrote…  Let me know in the comments if you have found a better way to do this…

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5 Responses to Removing the membrane from baby back ribs

  1. Andy December 23, 2011 at 12:32 pm #

    I’m wondering if it makes a difference what side you start from?

    Reply
  2. admin December 23, 2011 at 1:26 pm #

    @Andy – it’s easier to grab it from the narrow end in my opinion b/c it always seems to just be easier to grab at that end. there are plenty of people that start from the wide end, so it really boils down to what you have more success with. here are a couple more resources:

    http://www.armadillopeppers.com/remove-rib-membrane.html

    http://barbequemaster.blogspot.com/2009/03/are-your-ribs-tough-remove-membrane.html – in this video the guy is using a butter knife but appears to hack the end up a bit. that’s why i don’t use knives or spoons, i just grabbed it w/ a paper towel from the start…

    Reply
  3. Shelle August 11, 2012 at 10:13 pm #

    Hello! I just wanted to say, “Thank you”. As a first time babyback rib maker, this video really helped me prep my ribs! It was really easy to understand the video and the removal of the membrane was super easy! Thanks again!

    Reply
  4. Katrina August 31, 2012 at 9:19 am #

    Thank you for this. Every year Labor Day my brother and I put on a big rib feed. You won’t believe the words that come out of my mouth trying to get this membrane off. So thanks I think using the paper towel will be a huge help because it always slips out of my hands. And I always start at the big end, I’ll definitely start at the narrow end. Thanks again!

    Reply
    • Steve August 31, 2012 at 9:48 am #

      No problem Katrina. But…as many times as I’ve removed rib membranes there are always some that are super tricky to get off no matter how much practice you’ve had, and probably the same words come out of my mouth that come out of yours! :) But yeah, w/o a doubt use a paper towel and start from the skinny end to have the most success. Have fun w/ your rib cook this weekend and thanks for stopping by my site!

      Reply

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