One of the first things I learned to smoke when I got my first smoker was pork ribs. I used the tried-and-true 3-2-1 method, and I made some pretty good fall-off-the-bone ribs.
Looking back to my first cook, I remember having issues removing the membrane from the ribs. It takes some practice and can be difficult to remove the first couple of times that you work with pork ribs.
What is the rib membrane?
The rib membrane is a piece of tough silverskin that sits on the back of every rack of ribs, whether you get spare ribs or baby back ribs. It’s not tasty and makes your ribs a bit tougher to eat. It also can prevent your seasoning from getting on the meat between the bones of the ribs.
Is it necessary to remove the rib membrane?
No. I’ve honestly smoked many racks of ribs without removing the rib membrane. But removing the membrane is the way to go if you want to serve the best ribs you possibly can. If you want to read some serious discussion about the topic, head over to Reddit.
How do you remove the rib membrane?
To be honest, I just use a butter knife, paper towels, and some persistence to remove the rib membrane. Here is the process I use.
Step 1
Slide the butter knife in between a bone and the rib membrane. Use the knife to pry the membrane up.
Step 2
Because the rib membrane is slippery, I use a paper towel to get a good grip on the edge. Then, I gently pull the membrane away from the ribs.
The frustrating part about removing the rib membrane is that it can tear easily during removal despite being tough to chew. So sometimes, I have to repeat steps one and two multiple times to get the membrane removed.
What if I can’t remove the rib membrane
Sometimes, the rib membrane just does not come off. Sometimes, I don’t feel like doing it. And that’s okay. Sometimes, the rib membrane can help keep your rack of ribs together when you go for fall-off-the-bone ribs. Otherwise, your rack may split apart. If you leave it on, score it lightly with a knife between each bone so you can still get some seasoning on the backside of the rib meat.