Cooking pork ribs three ways has a silver lining
For years, I had wondered if I was living my life in a sea of misinformation regarding my pork ribs. I bought them, cooked them, sauced them and nobody really had any issues with the taste.
But as I delved deeper into the various cooking techniques, I regularly was told I was doing it wrong because I never knew about the trick of removing the membrane from the bone side portion of the racks. The membrane, also known as the “silverskin” due to its grayish appearance, is best described as an armor of sorts that separates the organs from the muscles. It’s built to be tough, and every type of rib, from lamb to beef, has it.
So, the idea is that by removing the membrane, that armor is gone and the smoke or grilled flavor will better penetrate the meat.
Removing the membrane is an example of practice makes perfect. It’s a real pain in the beginning, but you get better at it with every attempt. Begin by gently sliding a butter knife under the membrane in the middle of the ribs, scraping the bone. Then gently lift up the membrane enough so you can grab it with a paper towel and strip it off like painter’s tape. The paper towel is essential for a good grip; otherwise, it can get slippery.
If you shop at a local meat market, you can kindly ask the butcher to remove it for you, and they will. The reason they don’t do it in the grocery store meat case is because it’s an extra step that could lead to higher prices.
But does removing the membrane really matter? I purchased three racks of St. Louis-style cut ribs, each weighing approximately 3 pounds, and gave them the same seasoning. The membrane was removed from one
rack, another was scored, with the membrane cut into a checkerboard-like pattern, and the third was untouched, outside of a little trimming.
All were placed in the smoker with a blend of pecan and oak wood and cooked at 250 degrees for approximately four hours until they reached an internal temperature of 200 degrees. They were then allowed to rest for 15 minutes prior to slicing. Here are the results:
Membrane intact: It’s absolutely true that the membrane does not dissolve and it produces a tougher rib that can get pretty chewy when you gnaw on the bone side. But, the membrane does have serve a purpose, because it keeps the meat from breaking apart. It’s also much easier get clean slices that won’t turn into meat mush if the ribs are overcooked.
I would classify the requirement to remove the membrane as mostly overrated, because there isn’t much meat on the bone side anyway. Leaving it on is not an egregious mistake and made some good ribs. You may need to floss after eating, but that’s traditionally a good practice anyway.
Membrane scored: The middle child of this process, scoring the membrane only takes seconds by taking a sharp knife and cutting a pattern that allows the smoke to permeate the meat. There’s no scientific method to it, and you can’t really go wrong with any sort of pattern, but this is a situation where more is more.
The scoring technique made for flavorful ribs that also were easy to cut, but it didn’t create a noticeable difference in flavor from the ribs that had a full membrane. I could consider it the pork-placebo effect that may make you feel like you are taking an extra step that shows you care. You don’t have to care.
Membrane removed: There is an immense sense of satisfaction to getting a clean rip of the membrane, so for that alone, it makes the start to your cook rewarding. The membrane feels like a clump of rubber bands in your hand, and your select seasonings stick much better to the full rack. I won’t say that it produced more robust smoky flavor, so that’s a myth buster, but it does produce a much more tender rib that falls into that ever-popular “fall off the bone” territory.
Without the membrane, I recommend allowing the ribs to rest an extra 10 minutes compared to the other two options. The ribs can break up during the slicing process if you do it too quickly after removing them from the pit.
Overall, ribs are one of the most popular meats in barbecue because they are delicious. That doesn’t change no matter what method you choose. But if I had to pick one for the win, it’s the one without the silverskin.