Is there a trick for pulling membrane off ribs?

There are quite a few you tube video's on this, but ... if you bought from Costco, they are pulled off by the butcher.

If they are still intact, get a butterknife and gently try to get between the membrane and rib. Once you get a bit lifted off, get a dry papertowel and pull the membrane off.

Practice makes it simple over time.

I start seperating with a pair of kitchen shears held perpendicular to the ribs and work them under the membrane until I can get a good grip on it. Then pull firmly but gently while working my fingers underneath.

Yep, paper towels.  I get the peel started between two ribs with my finger, then grab it with a paper towel, and it pulls off easily with a nice grip.

Funny story, I did the same with my kids teeth when they were young and were loosing teeth.  They didn't want to wait for the tooth to hang by a thread, they wanted them OUT!.  Works like a charm!

there's a membrane along the inside of the  ribs, the inside of the chest cavity if you will.  that's what you take off.

but there's also a membrane around each rib.  this one ain't coming off.

when you buy a slab of ribs that has been trimmed, you'll sometimes find one exposed bone, down the small end, with a tail of membrane completely off the bone, flapping in the breeze.  happens if they trim this bone with a saw.

if you grab that whole thing and try to pull it off, it won't come off, because you are ALSO grabbing that sheath membrane around the bone. and

instead, take a piece of paper towel or paper napkin and grab/pinch at the membrane near the tip of a rib.  it should pull off easily.  start at the small end, and you can often take the thing in one go.  but it may come off in a couple strips

hard to explain word-wise.

you are NOT looking for perfectly exposed bone, so don't pry a knife down to the bone and pry up.  you will be working under the sheath around te bone, and that's not going anywhere.  just the outer membrane of the cavity wall.

Paper towel...comes right off...one of the first things I learned from "Bub-A-Q" at one of my 1st competitions ....

paper towel, grab membrane in the middle of the rack starting at the side, pull till i can get a finger under it, pull the thing off. seems this is hard for the first few rib cooks and then you never think about it again =)once the towel gets wet, get a dry one

I use a fork to get started then pull with a paper towel.  Look for an edge that is already loose that helps me and I think it works better when they are cold.  Duroc ribs usually have the membrane's already removed in cryovacs.  Look for them they are great pork as well.

@Darby_Crenshaw you answered my question of the 2nd membrane! I always thought i got the membrane off then noticed that 2nd membrane.

The paper towel trick has worked for me 99% of the time.  The1% that it didn't was a Costco batch that I spent 10 minutes looking and examining it before I realized it was pulled already!!!!!

Yo butcher....can you remove that membrane for me please?

Have yet to figure this out 

Homebrewguy said:

Dare I ask...does the membrane really need to be removed?

Not necessary but for me it's very noticeable when left on.

I use catfish skinners. 

 I don't really see any difference with the membrane removed vs simply scoring it with a sharp knife. I still remove it most cooks since "tradition" tells me I should.

   Jim