I used to skip silver skin trimming until a chewy steak proved me wrong

For the longest time, I thought taking off the silver skin was just busy work that slowed me down. I'd leave it on cuts like flank steak to save a few minutes each day. Then a regular customer brought back a order saying the meat was too tough to chew. That got me thinking, so I cooked two pieces side by side at home. One had the skin, one was clean. The trimmed steak was so much more tender and tasted better too. Now I always remove it, even though it adds time to my prep. My customers have noticed the improvement. Has anyone else had a moment like this that changed their routine?

3 comments

3 Comments

smith.ben29d ago

Had a similar wake-up call with pork ribs. I used to skip removing the membrane because it felt like a waste of time. After a cookout where the ribs were too tough, I tested it side by side. The ones without the membrane were way more tender and tasted better. Now I always take it off, and it's made a huge difference. Just like your steak, sometimes that extra step is worth it.

margaret22929d ago

Totally. That membrane makes a huge difference, you can really taste it. I learned that the hard way too, back when I thought I could skip it.

sarah19812d ago

Honestly, that side-by-side test sounds super convincing. So with ribs, is it mostly about the texture getting better, or does pulling that membrane off actually change the flavor too? I've heard some people say it lets the rub or smoke get deeper into the meat.