C. D. Ribs

My happy place is being around a kitchen table, not just sharing food but connecting and sharing stories. My recipes often tell a story, like this one for C. D. Ribs, which is named after my dad, Clarence Davis. He made the best ribs and I think he was happiest when he was grilling for his family.

My dad really was the “rib guy” and prided himself on knowing whether they were pink enough or if they had enough “give.”  All the things that make good barbecue ribs.

Many times, people boil ribs and then finish them off on the grill or smoker, which for my dad was a big no-no. He’s also the one who came up with the idea of brushing the ribs with white vinegar during cooking to help break down the meat fibers to keep them tender.

Adding the Flavor

The ribs are basically my dad’s recipe, but the spice rub is mine and the two together are a win-win.

The rub is really simple, but delivers bold flavor. It consists of a half cup of brown sugar and then a tablespoon each of garlic powder, sea salt, ground cumin, dried Italian herbs and sweet paprika.

The sauce is also simple, consisting of ketchup, spicy mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, molasses, lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix all the ingredients together with a Mix-Stir until well incorporated.

Cooking the Ribs

Prepare the grill to medium heat, but before cooking, remove the silver skin (membrane) from the back side of the rib rack (unless your butcher has already done it for you). It’s easy to remove it and not only does it make the ribs easier to eat, it allows the spice rub to cover more of the surface area, infusing more flavor. 

To prepare the ribs for the grill, rub them with olive oil and then coat the meaty side with the brown sugar rub. Place the ribs meaty side down on the grill over indirect heat (not over the coals). Lower the gill cover and let the ribs cook for 20 minutes before turning over and brush generously with white vinegar.

Repeat this step at least two additional times, brushing both sides with the vinegar each time. Then let the ribs continue to cook for an additional 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reaches 160 F.

The barbecue sauce goes on at the end of the cook time, so it doesn’t burn. It’s like a chef’s kiss. Put that on the ribs and give it another five minutes to seal the deal.

When done, slice each rib off the rack, cutting between the bones with a 6-3/4″ Petite Carver.

Make sure to have extra sauce to put in a squeeze bottle so you can add even more to your ribs while you’re eating them. And, be sure to have plenty of napkins on hand.

An option for serving the ribs is to slice off three bones to serve with a piece of whole wheat or white bread. This is a traditional way they serve ribs at roadside barbecue stands in the south. The bread becomes a sponge for all the delicious barbecue sauce, sopping up all the flavor.

I hope when you eat these C. D. Ribs you think of my dad and how much love was put into making them.