Rib Membrane: on, off, scored?

[LA Pork Butt]

I am with Jeremey after noticing how moist the ribs were at Snows BBQ, but I would take it off if it was in a competition. I always removed the membrane until my Snows experience, and I sometimes still pull it off.

[LA Pork Butt]

I would add I have always been a 225 guy on all my low and slow but recently I have switched to 275 for St. Louis Ribs. Steve Raichlen is a fan of 325-350 finished in 1 1/2 hours. I haven’t gone there yet, but I have tried them that way and they are okay.

[DaveD]

I've always removed the membrane from pork ribs, just doesn't seem appealing at all to leave it on.

[Purc]

Well, just as in life there are experts on both sides of with or without the membrane and both sides have facts and expert experiences to back up their claims. I do both ways. I say whichever way works best for you and your choice of smoking method is the way to do it.

NOW, when it comes to beans or no beans THE only way to make proper chili is..........

[captainlee]

I'm just trying to think about leaving the membrane on with just a cut makes the ribs more moist. All of the top and side meat is exposed with nothing protecting it. The bone is in place sealing 95% of the bottom. With a cut on the membrane you are still exposing some meat and giving a path for the juices to pass through. I guess the only way to know is to smoke two identical sized racks preped each way or one rack half and half. On the other hand what do I know?

[JustKyle]

I always pile the membrane off. Easier to get rub on the meat.

[Donw]

Personally I take it off as I like it that way better.
But beef tallow on pork ribs, wrapping, unwrapping, changing temperatures and making a simple thing so complicated? Jermey is one smart cookie when it comes to BBQ but he is still in fact a content creator and you can only do so many videos on just cooking ribs before having to add a lot of gimmicks to get new clicks. I take all these ‘New way to BBQ’ videos with a truck load of salt as I know Youtube sends him, and all the others, a nice check each month. Just my 2¢.

[Santamarina]

9/10 I buy my baby backs from Costco and they remove the membrane, so the works already done. When I buy them elsewhere and it has the membrane…I pull it off. But the scoring idea seems to have merit.

[jjdbike]

Thank you everyone!
JD

[Mosca]

I take the membrane off. I’ve done both. It doesn’t affect the taste either way, in my opinion; the ribs are just as moist either way, and just as properly seasoned, either way. But when I’ve left it on, I’ve always noticed it, and it has always bugged me while eating, whether I scored it or not.

There’s the added factor that taking it off makes me feel like I know what I’m doing, that I’m actually making something; i.e., I think to myself, “People don’t know you’re supposed to do this, but I know.” I like to impress myself.

[DaveD]

Heck yeah! I'm all about the self-congratulation too!

[bbqLuv]

Personal choice, to remove, leave on, or score pork rib membrane.
I remove it because YouTubers remove it, and competitors remove it, so I follow suit.

I have tried it all three ways and we prefer the bite better with the membrane removed

[DaveD]

You have competitors??

[bbqLuv]

differently not me, I am no competition

[JHB]

I leave it on because I like the chewiness and flavor. But my wife complains.

[RichieB]

I remove. I tried scoring but wasn't pleased with the results so pull pork ribs.

[rlozinak]

I remove the membrane

[jfmorris]

I remove it, and will continue to do so. If you've done it a few dozen/hundreds of times, it's pretty quick and easy, and one less thing to distract from the eating experience. I am also in the camp of salting and seasoning both sides of the ribs, and with the membrane on there, the dry rub won't stick and the salt won't penetrate.