Let me explain what Ribfest is for those not from Toronto. Ribfest is an event that takes place all around the Greater Toronto Area. It's on every weekend in the summer, from Friday to Monday in a different location hosted by different chapter of a volunteer organization. For myself and those close to me Ribfest is an annual tradition that's fun, tasty and a staple of summer.
Each year I go with with my wife and a few friends. We enjoy the sights and entertainment for a bit before we get to the main event: the ribs. We all get one or two half racks, each from a different vendor so we can have a proper try of each and see which one is the best. Ours is an informal contest and the organizers have an actual panel of judges who go through multiple categories rating each vendor on everything from ribs and sauces to pulled pork.
This year for me was smaller and just three of us went and got one half rack each. The vendors we picked were Jack the Ribber, Blazin' BBQ, and Texas Ranger.
My wife got her ribs from Jack the Ribber, which has been her favourite for the past few years. Our friend got hers from Blazin; BBQ, which none of us has ever tried. I got mine from the 2014 Best Ribs winner, Texas Ranger.
Jack the Ribber: The ribs were nice and tender. They didn't fall off the bone, but they were still soft. The sauce was rich and smokey and it smelled like it just came off the grill.
Blazin' BBQ: The ribs were firm with a soft texture. They held on to the bone more than the other two, but that gave them a great feeling when a bite was taken. The sauce was balanced between sweet and smokey, an excellent standard sauce, with a kick of spice.
Texas Ranger: The ribs were succulent. The meat was falling off the bone as they were picked up. The sauce was deliciously sweet with a hint of spice and smoke.
Texas Ranger was definitely my favourite but I was outvoted and Jack the Ribber took first place for my group. Regardless I was very pleased and satisfied with all the ribs and I look forward, as always, to next year's Ribfest.
Until next time, stay hungry!
Each year I go with with my wife and a few friends. We enjoy the sights and entertainment for a bit before we get to the main event: the ribs. We all get one or two half racks, each from a different vendor so we can have a proper try of each and see which one is the best. Ours is an informal contest and the organizers have an actual panel of judges who go through multiple categories rating each vendor on everything from ribs and sauces to pulled pork.
This year for me was smaller and just three of us went and got one half rack each. The vendors we picked were Jack the Ribber, Blazin' BBQ, and Texas Ranger.
My wife got her ribs from Jack the Ribber, which has been her favourite for the past few years. Our friend got hers from Blazin; BBQ, which none of us has ever tried. I got mine from the 2014 Best Ribs winner, Texas Ranger.
Jack the Ribber: The ribs were nice and tender. They didn't fall off the bone, but they were still soft. The sauce was rich and smokey and it smelled like it just came off the grill.
Blazin' BBQ: The ribs were firm with a soft texture. They held on to the bone more than the other two, but that gave them a great feeling when a bite was taken. The sauce was balanced between sweet and smokey, an excellent standard sauce, with a kick of spice.
Texas Ranger: The ribs were succulent. The meat was falling off the bone as they were picked up. The sauce was deliciously sweet with a hint of spice and smoke.
Texas Ranger was definitely my favourite but I was outvoted and Jack the Ribber took first place for my group. Regardless I was very pleased and satisfied with all the ribs and I look forward, as always, to next year's Ribfest.
Until next time, stay hungry!
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