A cunning win for first-timers
at annual CBCA Rib Cook-off

People’s Choice winners, The Cunning Hams, a.k.a. Tony Ucciferri and Walid Abdul-Rahim, debate the cooking time at the Fifth Annual Rib Cook-off on Aug. 9.

Six slabs of ribs did what Christmas and birthdays couldn’t do: They made my husband Tony Ucciferri feel like a kid again.
Indeed, when my husband decided to enter the fifth annual Clayton Club’s Rib Cook-off last Saturday — a fundraiser for the Clayton Business and Community Association — we couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. That is when he wasn’t spending a few sleepless nights going over rub recipes, sauce quantities and looking over spreadsheets of cooking times.
It was a long time coming. More than 30 years to be exact. That’s when he and teammate Walid Abdul-Rahim first began experimenting with barbecue recipes in their UC Berkeley dorm, Cunningham Hall. It’s also where their team name was born: The Cunning Hams.
But life has a way of getting in the way of big plans, and it wasn’t until this summer that the two guys decided to test the waters of an actual competition together.
The Cunning Hams, as well as 25 other teams, arrived by 7 a.m. that morning at the back lot of the Clayton Club, rolling in their two backyard Webers to their tent. By 7:15 it looked like another Clayton fire had sprung up as all the teams began firing up their coals — at least the ones who didn’t use propane.
But despite the threat of smoke inhalation, the Cunning Hams were in their element. Each team was given six slabs of pork ribs, and detailed instructions about judging times. Even the green-leaf garnish was regulated.
After the meat was delivered, it was time to “do the rub.”
“This is where the magic happens,” Tony said as he and Walid lovingly massaged their spicy concoction — I’m not even really sure what was in it — over the six slabs. Then around 8 a.m., the first four slabs were put in the Weber.
As a barbecue novice, I thought that meant we could all sit and relax for a few hours. But obviously I was very naïve. They needed to be tended and flipped every half hour (at least that’s what the spreadsheet said), and Walid even brought his portable kitchen timer to make sure they were on the nose.
The long morning and afternoon was livened up by live music performed at the back of the Clayton Club, but I was particularly entertained by the good-natured bickering between Tony and Walid over how to stack the coals, flip the ribs and even whether they should put some in foil if they were getting too burnt.
There was also a lot of looking-over-their-shoulders at the other competition. Should they be preparing the garnish yet? Should they be spraying the ribs with apple juice, which helps keep them moist? And the guys gazed lovingly at the trophies other teams sported from earlier years’ success.
Suddenly, around noon, it was go-time. The first four racks were coming off, and would be entered into judging. The remaining two, which would be judged last in the People’s Choice category, would come off the fire later.
Walid and Tony picked over their rib selections like jewelers going through diamonds. Every aspect, from color, texture and density was weighed.
The first two rounds were judged by local dignitaries and CBCA members, but the final round was judged by professionals: Tim Ford of Armadillo Willie’s in Dublin, Jeff and Yvonne Erb of Back 40 Texas Barbecue, and Rob Zavataro of Beaver Creek Smokehouse in Martinez.
When the smoke cleared, the winners gleefully accepted their trophies. Tied for second place were Ferrell Family BBQ and Half Fast, led by Greg Ferrell and Stephen Lim, respectively. Top prize went to Third Coast Smoke, led by Colin Mendenhall.
And the coveted People’s Choice Award, voted on by a selection of the afternoon’s diners, went to none other than The Cunning Hams.