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Arrghh, membrane on ribs

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mummel

mummel

Master of the Pit
Original poster
Apr 8, 2015
2,294
64
Massachusetts
So yeah, first time I'm trying this.  Not happening :(  I suppose its similar to the first time I filleted a fish.  There is probably a technique one needs to develop over time.

Please check the pick.  These are St Louis style ribs from Costco.  Do they have the membrane on them?  I could find a very thin layer that I tried to remove but was unsuccessful.  How bad is it if I cant get the membrane off?

PS.  Ribs were previously cut for storage before I decided to smoke them.  The next ones will be whole which will probably be easier to de-membrane. 

Thanks!

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IMG_1855.JPG

 
There was a discussion a few weeks back where it was revealed that Costco removes the membrane. 

With the WSM and vertical smokers you can put the membrane side down and just leave it on.  I don't wrap my SLC ribs and after 250F for 6 hours the membrane basically turns to onion skin, is easy to grab, and peels right off in about a second. 
 
I remember that conversation being about babybacks at Costco having the membrane already removed. To add to the confusion, I bought a three pack of St. Louis ribs from Costco a month ago and two of the racks had membranes while one didn't.
 
The membrane isn't poison, nor will it ruin your life if left intact. Chances are if it doesn't come off fairly easily, all or part of it has been removed in processing. I usually give it a shot, but if it's fighting me after 30 seconds, I move on. Life is too short to worry too much about little things like the membrane on the back of a rack of ribs. One thing you can do is score it with a sharp knife to avoid it drawing up and curling the rack.
 
I posted a couple of weeks ago that the loin back ribs at Costco packed 3 to a Cryovac from Smithfield already have the membrane pulled. I have not bought the spares at Costco, but if they are Smithfield and still in the Cryovac, I would bet that the membrane is already off. But, as Mdboatbum said, it's not the end of the world anyway. Good luck, Joe
 
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