Appreciation post: The old guy at the Kansas City meat show changed how I look at beef ribs

I was at the Kansas City Meat Expo last fall, just walking the floor. This older butcher, maybe 70, was working a booth and saw me looking at some beef back ribs. He said 'Son, you're checking the wrong side, flip it over.' He showed me how the membrane on the bone side was still mostly on, which I always left on for smoking. He took his hook, got under a corner, and pulled the whole thing off in one clean sheet in about three seconds. I tried it on a rack right there and the difference in how the smoke and rub got into the meat was huge. Anyone have other little tricks like that for ribs?

3 comments

3 Comments

hollyg591mo ago

Yeah that membrane trick is a game changer for sure. I mean, @hart.mark is right about experts cutting out steps, but sometimes the real trick is knowing which step to add back in. Like, a lot of people say to wrap ribs in foil to make them tender, but an old timer showed me to use butcher paper instead. It lets just enough steam out so the bark doesn't get soggy. It's not less work, it's different work, and it makes a huge difference.

xena_brown501mo agoTop Commenter

Old pros always know the simple stuff we overcomplicate lol

hart.mark1mo agoMost Upvoted

Totally agree with you @xena_brown50! Read a great quote once that said experts make hard things look easy because they've already done all the hard work. They cut out the extra steps that beginners don't even know are there yet. It's like they see the straight path while everyone else is still in the woods. That's why their simple advice is often the best.