Help with removing the membrane from some babybacks

[ddemerath]

I seem to be having a lot of trouble removing the membrane from some fresh babybacks I picked up from the butcher. Since these are my first attempt, I don't care to mess it up. When I try to get the membrane of all it does is tear in little pieces. I grab it with a paper towel to help hold on to it but it doesn't seem to matter. There are some cuts across the ribs on the bone side. Could it be that the butcher has already taken it off? I can slip a knife under the membrane below the bone, slice it , but when I grab and pull, it just rips at the end of the bone. On the WYNTK site it shows the membrane comming off in a long strip.

Thanks, any help would be appreciated.

 

[bud's bbq]

It is a pain in the a.....
Try to get hold of a piece and pull upward. I have used a pair of plyers to help some times. It is akin to trying to get a store sticker off of an item.

Try the plyers or a paper towell.

This is the ideal situation.........

 

[deejaydebi]

ddemerath


If you've got little slices all over the place it won't come off in one nice piece. It is posible that it's already been removed, but not likely.

 

[ddemerath]

thats one sweet picture bud's bbq. Looks better than the picture I saw. I can't seem to get the membrane to come off between the bones. I guess I will keep trying.

 

[bud's bbq]

Start at the small end of the ribs and pull up towards the large end. Practice, practice, practice......

 

[t-bone tim]

Ddemerath...try just poking your index finger into the meat between the bones inbetween the meat and the membrane ...once you get it started to come off it will pull off easily !! Tim :)

 

[ddemerath]

I stumbled upon this site last night:
http://virtualweberbullet.com/ribselect2.html
The part on removing the membrane may explain what I was trying to remove.


It appears that the membrane was already removed and just the thin layer remained that holds the bones together.

We wil find out later as they are in the smoker.

 

[hillbillysmoker]

I stumble through this process quite often. Some times it goes so smoothly that it scares me. Other times I feel like taking the nail gun and shooting it fast to counter. I have learned by past experience, however, that patience is cheaper than divorce.

 

[deejaydebi]

There's something wrong with that rub though .... there's no garlic!

 

[vulcan75001]

This is what works for me...
Don't try to remove the membrane right away when you take them out of the refrigerator....let them sit out for a little while...then pull it...comes off easy ..

 

[liquiddirt]

I use skinning plyers. The ones you use to skin catfish :) Works perfectly.

Goose