The BBQ Myth That's Ruining Your Ribs
Do You Really Need To Remove The Membrane?
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Introduction
Should You Remove the Membrane on Ribs? I Tested It Side by Side
If you've ever watched one of my rib videos, you know the comments are coming:
“You HAVE to remove the membrane! That’s the only way to do it!”
But is it really?
I’ve smoked a lot of ribs in my day—St. Louis style, baby backs, you name it—and like many of you, I used to always remove the membrane. But recently, I started to question that rule. So in this cook, I ran a side-by-side experiment: one rack with the membrane removed, and one with it left on. Same rub, same cook, same smoker. Let’s talk about what happened.
The Setup
I started with two beautiful St. Louis-style racks. One had the membrane removed using the butter knife and paper towel trick (you know the drill—it either comes off easy or gives you a fight). The other I left completely intact.
Both racks were seasoned with Heath Riles Sweet BBQ Rub—no binder, no mustard, just the rub straight onto the meat. I let them sit for about 20 minutes until the rub “sweated in” and turned that deep red color we all love.
The Cook
I fired up the Yoder with Bear Mountain pecan pellets and added a pellet tube for extra smoke. Temps started at 250°F and later went up to 275°F to speed things along thanks to the incoming snowstorm (yes, this cook happened in the middle of winter). After three hours and a couple of water spritzes, I wrapped both racks with a homemade glaze of warm BBQ sauce, raw honey, and a splash of vinegar. No butter needed.
I cooked them wrapped for another hour at 285°F, then unwrapped and sauced both racks for a final 15-minute tack-up at 325°F. The total cook time was about 4 hours and 15 minutes.
The Taste Test
Here’s the result after letting them rest:
One rack had the membrane. The other didn’t. Could I tell the difference?
Nope.
Same bite. Same chew. Same juicy texture. Both had beautiful pull-back, great moisture, and a nice bite-through. The membrane didn’t get chewy or weird—it held up perfectly and actually helped retain moisture during the cook.
Final Verdict
After this side-by-side cook, I can confidently say: for St. Louis-style ribs, removing the membrane is totally optional. If you're cooking your ribs low and slow and wrapping them like most people do, the membrane won’t ruin your bite or the final flavor.
So if you love spending 5 extra minutes with a butter knife and paper towel, go ahead. But for the rest of us? You can skip that step and still serve up competition-worthy ribs.
If ribs are your thing and you want more experiments like this, check out Smoke Test Video and subscribe for more backyard BBQ truth bombs.
Thanks For Watching
Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or a novice, these tips will enhance your cooking skills and leave your family and friends raving about your delicious, smoky creations. Don't forget to subscribe for more step-by-step videos, and let's together become the barbecue heroes we were meant to be!
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