Dig in at Ribfest.
Southern barbecue means big, as Rae Hyde samples the barbecue sauce from Camp 31 BBQ's Tobias Maskell at the Scarborough Rotary RibFest in Thomson Memorial Park on Friday. Ribfest in the park runs July 30, 31 and Aug. 1 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 2. (Jul 30, 2010)
Staff photo/MARY GAUDET
'You gotta cook low and slow.' - Nick Smith, Gator BBQ.
It's easy to get distracted by the flashy midway lights and Tiny Tom donuts upon entering Thomson Memorial Park, but a gust of smoky wind reminds hungry Scarborough residents why they came.
This is the ninth annual Scarborough Rotary Ribfest and it's quite a spectacle.
Just past the carnival rides and vendor tents, plumes of savory smoke float through the air. The crowd squeezes past a six-foot pink pig statue to the area where a 10 award-winning ribbers, several beer stations and a variety of other treats await.
For a ribfest first-timer, the central cookout and main stage set-up is quite impressive. Ribbers need to compete for attention and stand out from their competitor's kiosks, so displays are quite a sight. Colourful menu boards stretch about 40 feet into the air, suspended above giant mobile kitchens capable of satisfying the most demanding of appetites.
It's a sensory overload, even before mouth meets meat.
Travelling rib-man Nick Smith began running his 500- and 700-pound capacity smokers a day before the ribfest to make sure his stand, the Gator BBQ Company, would be able to hold its own against the competition. He expects to sell about 10,000 pounds of meat over the weekend, but cooking and serving the perfect rack of ribs is a delicate balance.
"You've got to cook low and slow," said Smith.
"But you also can't have people waiting in line for three hours."
Smith has been cooking his family's rib recipe since he was 10. He is now 21 and is running the stand while his two brothers and parents are in other rib cook-offs across the province. This is his sixth year participating in the Scarborough Rotary Ribfest, where he won the People's Choice Award last summer.
Any pro knows that a good looks and aroma are important to draw a crowd, but Smith thinks taking your time and his unique family recipe for barbecue sauce is what wins awards.
He begins by smoking ribs for at least three hours at a low temperature. Once they're nice and tender, he adds a healthy dose of Gator's barbecue sauce, which gets its sweetness from Florida orange juice and pineapple flavours.
At that point they are thrown on the grill where the customers can see them and it's only a matter of time before his lineup begins to block pedestrian traffic.
The cooks aren't the only ones taking this event seriously.
Scarborough resident Marie Lapar did her research ahead of time and decided she would begin the day with a half-rack from Crabby's BBQ Shack. She has been coming to ribfest for the last three years and while she seemed to struggle to finish her half-rack, she said it was just the beginning.
"I want to get more samples," said Lapar. "I guess that's why we have a full long weekend for this."
Her friend David Chung was able to give a chew-by-chew analysis of Crabby's flavour.
"Nice and tender with lots of flavour, that's for sure," Chung said through mouthfuls of meat. "It has a real tangy barbecue sauce, too."
With a large serving of fries and a giant lemonade to complete his "breakfast of champions," Chung planned to stay a while.
The Scarborough Rotary Ribfest is open July 30 to Aug. 1 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Monday Aug. 2 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Parking and admissions is free but depending on the vendor, expect to pay about $20 for a full rack of ribs.