Busting a couple rib myths.

[cmwr]

I shot for 250. If course, this being my first time using this cooker, I had variations and had to learn to account for those. But I never got above 270, and that was after I'd left for a couple of hours and the wind had picked up. Anywho...

Washed both slabs in cold water and patted dry.
Peeled one of the membranes and trimmed both of excess uglies.
Put my layered rub on. In between each layer I hit it with a very light must of apple juice. Did this in both sides of the slab.
Once my UDS was on target, I placers the slabs meat side up side by side.
Put the lid on and didn't touch them for 3 hours.
At 3 hours I pulled them off and wrapped them. Not for tenderness though, because they were starting to snap in the middle. I wrapped them with a coat of honey on both sides and put on for just about 20 minutes. Seems to give them an excellent glaze and the foul allows it to really get in there.
Pulled them off and out of the foil, sauced, and placed back on for another 15 minutes.

They were both delicious and no one but me knew which had the membrane and which didn't.

I have pics but can't get them on here. Don't know what happened, but it looks like my view switched somehow from the PC to the mobile version and I don't have the option to load photos.

Eagle, I am not sure if anyone has told you yet or if you have read, but in a drum, unless your using a diffuser, the temps near the center will be around 50 degrees higher than towards near the edge where your thermometer reads. In my drum once I had a 90 degree variance over a good bed of coals.

 

[Enrico Brandizzi]

I bought this bbq book on Amazon
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001I0P8QW/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1"]Amazon.com: BBQ Pitmaster Secrets Revealed!: &#34, Famous&#34, Dave Anderson, David Anderson: Movies & TV@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61KbMyP4LXL.@@AMEPARAM@@61KbMyP4LXL[/ame]
By Famous David Anderson. He says his ribs have membrane on. i didn't try yet but I'll do as soon as possible!

 

[NickTheGreat]

I didn't used to remove the membrane, but it'd be kinda tough to bit through. Then I started to remove it and that seemed to go away.

But I've FAR from mastered ribs. I've done them probably 7 or 8 times, and only been happy with them twice. Once since I've removed the membrane :wacko:

 

[dadsr4]

Disappeared or not I never remove it either and it doesn't affect the way they eat. Maybe you guys are referring to competition which from stories I have been told is kinda ridiculous anyways. I cook to eat not show.

I just cook for myself and others. I have observed that a lot of the people saying that it melts are cooking direct over high heat. I can see it burning off under those conditions. In the photos above, to me, that is what is happening. I have also purchased ribs with a very thin membrane, which could produce a different result. It is more difficult to remove than the normal thick membrane, which to me resembles thick Visqueen.
In my experience, the membrane melting is a myth. Whether it bothers one to eat it, that is a different subject.

 

[Fwismoker]

I have observed that a lot of the people saying that it melts are cooking direct over high heat. I can see it burning off under those conditions. In the photos above, to me, that is what is happening.

Two things it wasn't direct high heat... it was indirect heat and only 275-300 which is by no means high.

Secondly it didn't burn down to the bottom of the ribs, it "melted" down to th bottom and cooked up when it was down there.

 

[FiremanMike]

I go both ways on the membrane. Like you (and I'm sure everyone) I find that if I leave the membrane on and don't foil, the end result is just a black, crunchy, charred piece that needs removed before eating. I truthfully don't notice a difference in tenderness either way, and the only reason I went back to removing it is because I like rub on the underside of my ribs too. If I leave the membrane on, I lose that when it becomes it's gross black charred piece.

 

[Friedturkeyspam]

I've bought ribs in three pacs to have one with the membrane and the others already removed. Even after you remove a membrane there's still a thinner membrane underneath it, which if you'd always had pre-mebrane removed ribs you would think the thin one you are looking at is the one everyone is talking about.

I guess what I am saying is, unless you know what you are starting out with, you may have been "leaving on" that thin membrane and think you where cooking it away. Before the OP goes ballistic, this is not directed at you.

I've been removing them, it seems to make sense to me and my ribs are not dry.

Interesting thread, but I wouldn't say that the need to remove the membrane is "BUSTED" because you don't experience a down side to leaving it on. I've ate ribs that the membrane was like a sheet of paper and the restaurant I had them in made decent BBQ all hickory smoked.

My2 cents

 

[packerfannate]

I have always been told the membrane needs to be taken off but have never done it out of sheer laziness. Somtimes that can be a bear to remove. In any case, the ribs I did on Saturday had the membrane left on and it did not melt away. The ribs were fantastic though the kids didn't mind pulling that part off.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I have always been told the membrane needs to be taken off but have never done it out of sheer laziness. Somtimes that can be a bear to remove. In any case, the ribs I did on Saturday had the membrane left on and it did not melt away. The ribs were fantastic though the kids didn't mind pulling that part off.

I removed the membrane for years and only recently have I stopped. I now wonder why I removed it for all those years seeing that I can tell zero difference in the taste/flavor.

 

[Fwismoker]

Interesting thread, but I wouldn't say that the need to remove the membrane is "BUSTED" because you don't experience a down side to leaving it on.

My2 cents

Fried the "busted" just goes to the fact that it can melt away in the right conditions. I said nothing about the need to remove or not. What conditions need to be there for it to melt off? All i know is it happens 100% of the time with me. Every smoker is different...some have more direct heat, some might be using water, some might be cooking hotter, some might score the membrane. Who knows as to why it melts off but it most definitely can as the picture shows.

As far as the two membranes i think most people know about that. The heavier one is less translucent imo.

 

[Friedturkeyspam]

I agree, there are many variables. The reason I pointed out the inner membrane thing is because I spent quite a while trying to remove one on the first set of ribs I attempted years ago. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Thought it might help someone who was really new to the whole topic.

 

[chambersuac]

Dang, looks really good. Now I'm craving ribs. This is why I am trying to stay outta QTalk. I can't smoke and it's driving me crazy seeing all y'all's pron. licking the monitor doesn't help.

 

[dadsr4]

From the last cook where I left the membrane on. These ribs were cooked at 325 degrees indirect until a toothpick went through easily. Membrane from one rib. About the same thickness and texture as cryowrap. This is pretty much what I experience each time I leave it on.

 

[Fwismoker]

From the last cook where I left the membrane on. These ribs were cooked at 325 degrees indirect until a toothpick went through easily. Membrane from one rib. About the same thickness and texture as cryowrap. This is pretty much what I experience each time I leave it on.

I believe you....something is different in your bbq world is all i know. Is it because they were cooking on the kettle or something I have no idea. The color seems off to me also. How mine can dissolve right off every time and you get that is a mystery. :noidea: I use olive and and score it so that's a possibility.

 

[MS2SB]

Must be using Tenda Rub.

 

[lonewolf44]

Nice looking ribs. I always use olive oil. I smoking a butt right now and I use olive oil. I like it better than mustard.

 

[smoke ninja]

I am gonna try scoring the membrane on the next rack. I left one on recently and I noticed it, didn't bother me but I knew it was there. I bet scoring will help it dissolve.

 

[kenthanson]

I don't really think you can say a myth is busted with the limited amount of evidence you have shown. I pull my membranes every time and when I stand them up in a rib rack I also have that same black stuff at the bottom of my ribs. I'm no scientist but I think it might be blood, marrow and fat that has rendered down and burnt on the end. Also you say the myth is busted but than you provide evidence that is not entirely true to the scenario, you have scored the membrane, so you should have said "the membrane dissolves when scored" and not " the membrane dissolves". Also there is no control ribs provided as evidence, maybe the particular ribs you have would be just as juicy with the membrane off. Basically what I'm saying is one rack does not a myth bust.

 

[Fwismoker]

I don't really think you can say a myth is busted with the limited amount of evidence you have shown. I pull my membranes every time and when I stand them up in a rib rack I also have that same black stuff at the bottom of my ribs. I'm no scientist but I think it might be blood, marrow and fat that has rendered down and burnt on the end. Also you say the myth is busted but than you provide evidence that is not entirely true to the scenario, you have scored the membrane, so you should have said "the membrane dissolves when scored" and not " the membrane dissolves". Also there is no control ribs provided as evidence, maybe the particular ribs you have would be just as juicy with the membrane off. Basically what I'm saying is one rack does not a myth bust.

Ken... I normally don't do this but in your case i'll make an exception. Learn to read brother. Go back and copy and paste where i said it dissolves when scored or not. Also i said it dissolves for me...others have said the same thing for them. Do what you want with your own ribs and try not to obviously be so argumentative.

 

[kenthanson]

The names kent, bub.