Remove the membrane from the back side of the ribs...

[Willy]

Am I the only one who finds removing the membrane from a rack of ribs to be near impossible?

[boftx]

I find it to be annoying at times. I've also found that ribs that have been allow to that for a few days after having been frozen (most store cryovac packages) will pull easier than freshly thawed ones.

[CRO]

Try to get under it with a Paring or Butter Knife, then grip it with paper towels between your fingers. Try to make one big long pull / removal.

[boftx]

Paper towels are a must! And the butter knife to get it started is the same thing I do.

[Breadhead]

+1 on what CRO said.👍

[Huskee]

Some are harder than others. When I do a few racks, only one comes off easy on average. The rest rip up in thin slippery strips.

[CeramicChef]

Ok! I'm so glad to know that after a long time cooking ribs I still get screwed by the pig! There are some that are just impossible. Thanks, Huskee.

My average is about 1 in 3 that's easy to pull.

[Spinaker]

I use a sharp knife to start it. Then just grab it with the paper towel in hand and pull. Pull at about a 45 agree angle from the ribs. It also helps if the membrane is patted dry before attempting.

[Gunsmokers]

There are good tutorials on the Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-RL_f8qdJE

~Gunsmokers~

[fuzzydaddy]

Like others have said, dry it, butter knife, paper towel. Last week's ribs all removed in 1 pull. Other times it tears into strips. I try to remove it all but if it tears I may leave a little bit and no complaints as long as the ribs are cooked to my guests' liking.

[W.A.]

Maybe is just me being lazy, but ive been leaving them on these days. No complaints. I never devein shrimp either.

[David Parrish]

I have similar results. Sometimes they come off in one strip. Usually that's not the case.

[cgrover60]

I'm not so much lazy but hate having to plan an extra hour sometimes to get them skinned. So... since I don't ever sauce the ribs (serve sauce on the side for those who need it) I just pull the crisped up skin off after the cook and before slicing to serve.

[RonB]

Since I don't want to offend anyone here, I remove half the membrane...

[Storlok]

Remove half the membrane. Topless ribs. Hahah.

[choffert]

...or bottomless...;-)

[mgaretz]

It used to be very frustrating but at some point it got easy. Like others, I start it with a sharp knife, then get under it with my fingers or a butter knife, then grasp with a paper towel and pull. I start a few ribs in and get the big side, then go after the small side.

[choffert]

I've found that going under with the butter knife on all of the ribs usually results in a smooth, one pull removal...

[Strat50]

I use a fork to "drag" the membrane, then a dry towel(or paper towel) for grip on the membrane. It's fast, and fairly effective, especially when prepping multiple racks.

[Dr ROK]

Hi Strat50 Can you give more information on what you mean by "drag" the membrane?

[Strat50]

Sure. You use a fork and use a scratching, dragging motion to loosen some membrane, then grab with a dry towel and peel. Repeat as necessary. Oh yeah, do your scratching on the bones, and scratch down their length when possible.

[jgg85234]

I guess I've been cheating. Almost all of the ribs I get are from one of my IT clients that is in the "foodservice" channel.

I get 3 1/2 and down SLC ribs, and the labels say "membrane removed".

I'm thinking that some of the restaurant supply businesses that are selling to the general public (maybe even Costco) may have the pre-trimmed ones available. Anyone ever looked around at one of those places to see what they have available?

Jim