BY BILL PHILLIPS
bill@pgdailynews.ca
Chad Cannon, also known as Red Dragon, has been barbecuing pretty much his entire life.
Not your run-of-the-mill backyard barbecuing, either.
Cannon and the nine-member team from Boss Hog’s Barbecue in London, Ontario will be bringing their award-winning barbecue to Prince George this week for Ribfest at Pacific Western Brewing.
Boss Hog’s Barbecue has been to barbecue shows Kelowna, Vancouver, Windsor, Edmonton, and Vancouver Island and this will mark the first time they’ve been to Prince George.
“We do a lot of travelling,” Cannon said. “We want to make sure Canada gets the best barbecue so we go wherever we have to go make sure it happens.”
Cannon has been barbecuing since he was a teenager and got into it almost by accident. His sister lives in Kitchener and knew someone who was doing a ribfest and looking for some help.
“I was young, only 16, and they said come on down,” he said. “The guy offered me a job to go to Buffalo, so I had to call up my mom and ask if I could go to Buffalo the next week.”
His mother agreed.
“So off to the races I went,” he said. “I love every minute of it. I meet new people every day. It’s just a great experience. I don’t work inside four walls. I work inside the four borders of Canada.”
So what can people expect when they show up at Ribfest and check out Boss Hog’s Barbecue?
“The absolute best barbecue in Canada,” he said. “We’ve won more awards than any other team. I’ve been doing this for about 23 years, Boss Hogg’s been doing it for about 15. We’ve already made a lot of mistakes over the years, so we’ve perfected it.”
That doesn’t mean they haven’t stopped learning, he said, adding they are always tweaking their recipe and their menu.
“We want to stay the best and that’s the only way you can learn, is by mistakes,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to mess up, enjoy it and just go with it.”
He has a crew of nine people with him in Prince George for Ribfest and the cooking started Thursday night so the pulled pork will be very tender … “it has to be cooked low and slow.”
One of their most popular items is the Boss’ Feast which includes a half rack of ribs, a quarter of chicken, eight ounces of pulled pork with beans and coleslaw.
“You get everything,” he said. “It’s basically for a big guy who’s really hungry or a couple who can share … they will be quite content.”
So head on down to Pacific Western Brewing today, Saturday or Sunday and take in some great food, entertainment, and fun.
It could almost be a religious experience as the Boss Hog’s Barbecue abides by the Book of Rib-alations and the Ten Rib Commandments …including, Thou Shalt Fall off the Bone; Thou Shalt Not Covet thy Neighbour’s Sauce and more.
“It should be a great experience for the whole family,” he said. “There is no sauce like the Boss.”
The weekend will be filled with all the ingredients needed to cook up the right Ribfest event. Both Friday and Saturday will be divided into family-friendly / all-ages hours, and 19+ adult only hours. With Sunday being entirely all ages. Rib Fans can expect to experience Canada’s best ‘ribbers,’ some of northern B.C.’s most sought after food truck vendors, local live entertainment, and delicious PWB products throughout the weekend.
Additionally, Sunday will include a farmers’-market style shopping area on the property.
Patrons can expect to see some of the best local entertainment Prince George has to offer. Friday evening will feature more of a country vibe, while Saturday will be more focused on hits and rock.