From left, David Robeson from Billy Bones BBQ, Megan Sawatasky and Terry Gabel with Buckeye BBQ and Ned Simpson and Brook Weir with Blazin' BBQ pose for a photo for a photo prior to RibFest happening in the parking lot at the Medicine Hat Lodge. The festival opens today at 11 a.m. and continues through Sunday.--NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLER
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
Brendan Miller
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
The aroma of savoury southern-style brisket, pulled pork and ribs will be lingering around the Medicine Hat Lodge through the weekend as the grills heat up this morning for this year’s annual Western Canada RibFest.
Beginning at 11 a.m., three all-Canadian barbecue restaurants well-known on the East Coast will be serving pull pork, brisket, smoked chicken, smoked sausage, smoke pork ribs, smoked beef ribs and all the fixings that use traditional receipts and spices popular in the southern U.S.
Grill masters from Buckeye BBQ, Blazin’ BBQ and Billy Bones BBQ have joined together to promote and share barbecue delights as they visit 18 communities across Western Canada during the annual summer tour, and will be making their sixth visit to Medicine Hat.
Starting early this morning large 40-foot trailers with industrial cookers and grills will be fired up, ready to begin a slow cooking process these grill masters have perfected over several years.
“It’s quality over quantity,” says Terry Gabel, co-owner of Buckeye BBQ. “Yes, we cook for the masses, but our biggest focus is the quality of food. We all have our different sauces and people can come down here and experience smoked barbecue like they can’t at home.”
Many of the meals served at RibFest are inspired by and include sauces and seasonings used by our southern neighbours, as well as using similar cooking techniques while large smokers and slow cookers.
David Robertson, manager with Billy Bones BBQ, says large-style American cookout and barbecue events are becoming more common in the East.
“It’s a huge thing in Ontario,” explains Robertson. “Very much a U.S.A. kind of theme with a lot of cheerleading and chants, a lot of showmanship that goes into it.”
Robertson says passion is also cooked into every brisket, smoked chicken and tender back ribs served during the festival.
“The product speaks for itself and we love it,” says Robertson. The ribs themselves take over four hours to cook, while the brisket and pork butts take about 12 to 13 hours.
“The barbecue sauces we are using pre-date 20 years. They’re family recipes that are passed on through generations, and we’ve just inherited them.”
One of those recipes available this weekend is the ‘Dirty Mac,’ served up by Blazin’ BBQ.
“So our Dirty Mac is mac and cheese with pulled pork on top,” explains Ned Simpson, co-owner of Blazin’ BBQ. “Or you can have it with brisket or with a sausage on top, it’s a nice little meal.”
Gates to RibFest open today from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the south parking lot of the Medicine Hat Lodge, the grounds are free to attend and will also feature live music and children’s activities.
RibFest counties throughout the weekend with similar hours Saturday, and continues Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
