1. Pat Dry the Ribs with a Paper Towel (Bone and Meat Side)
This makes them easier to work with.
2. Lift The Membrane on One End with a Butter Knife or Spoon
You want to lift enough to get your fingers under.
You can do this from the side or at the center of the ribs.
3. Use Paper Towel to Grip and Rib it Off
If any bits remain they’ll be easier to grab now with paper towel.
Then discard the membrane in the trash as nobody eats it.
That’s all there is to it.
Can You Leave the Membrane on?
For beef ribs, I do.
For dino ribs, all the meat is on top of the bones and the membrane helps to keep the meat attached to the bone.
For instance, without the membrane, these ribs would of easily fallen off the bone when I wrapped:
Is it Necessary to Remove the Membrane?
Some people like this textural snap – equate it to like a sausage.
With pork ribs though it can be sort of off putting as it’s super tender meat and then a textural snap.
Some people will opt to crosshatch or “score” the membrane with a knife.
These cross-hatches will shrink when the ribs are smoked and you either remove it OR leave it. The crosshatches will shrink and will be less noticeable when you go to bite the meat.
Depending on how you’re cooking too – say hot and fast – if you go membrane side down to start, it’ll get wicked crispy and be more enjoyable to eat.
