Cooking Techniques: Ribs

I have attached a video with Bob Polan from Boogers Barbecue in Texas. He describes in detail how he prepares and cooks ribs. He explains what he looks for in buying ribs, how he trims them, what marinades and dry rubs he uses, and his smoking techniques. What I find most interesting is that he marinades his ribs overnight before cooking them. Usually I just generously apply a dry rub on the ribs before placing them on my little grill (I am temporarily without a smoker). I then periodically spray apple juice on them while they are smoking to keep them moist. I also apply a barbecue sauce on the ribs towards the end of the smoking process to caramelize.

My techniques, however, may be faulty. I am certainly no cooking guru and consider myself a layman when it comes to preparing barbecue. Thus, I am always open to new ideas and am anxious to try a marinade on my ribs. Hopefully the marinade will make my ribs more tender and flavorful.

Speaking of new ideas, I would like to read about your techniques when cooking ribs. More specifically, I would like to discuss the following questions:

1. Have you ever used a typical backyard grill when cooking ribs? If so, how did they taste?

2. I have heard the argument that good ribs do not need a rub because the smoke flavoring is enough. Is this statement true? Why or why not?

3. What is the best way to remove the lining (that rubbery film which I guess would be considered the membrane) of the ribs?

4. Have you ever eaten ribs from an animal other than a pig or cow? For instance, I once ate venison ribs. This may seem like a strange question, but honestly, I would like to know if the world has a larger variety of ribs to offer.

Thanks again for reading and enjoy the video!

Bob Polan from Booger's Barbecue Preparing Ribs