green wrote: > Riley... I love that name. Worked with a guy who's last name's Riley. > Only could call him "Riley." It just fit. It's just a great, all around > name. > > "Removing The Membrane", from The Great Ribs Book, CW 1999, Hugh Carpenter & > Teri Sandison, pg. 19 > > "All ribs have a tough membrane that covers the underside (the nonmeaty > side) of the ribs. This membrane is called the "fell." [Doug, you know > about the fell. Lots o'times lamb has it...] For all cooking techniques, > remove the membrane or the ribs will always be tough. Now....about that tough membrane, or fell. When I do pork ribs, I always use back ribs rather than side, and a trick I learned from a Chinese friend, many years ago, was always cook the ribs in a little chicken stock, for ten minutes first, drain them, let them cool, and then remove that membrane, it will simply come right off. Then do your marinade bit. The meat will absorb more of the marinade, and they will cook far quicker on the barbecue or grill, than if you start from total raw. This is the method used in every Chinese place that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing the guy who owned it....that is the main reason their ribs are never tough. Try this trick, you likely will never do raw ribs again! Cheers, Doug in BC