The top 15 ribs from Toronto Ribfest 2013

Toronto Ribfest, the city's biggest annual ribfest, was back this weekend to celebrate Canada's Day in a three day meat bash that saw over 150,000 people at Centennial Park. Hosted by the Rotary Club of Etobicoke, the event saw rib lovers donate $2 at the door to the Rotary Food Initiative to help support child hunger. There were carnival games, a Kidz Zone with face painting, music and magic shows, two stages with bands and entertainment, and of course, lots and lots of ribs.

Sixteen barbeque masters - twelve of them hailing from Ontario - competed for the title of Best Ribs. Speaking with these ribbers revealed a thread of similarity in their approach - ribs were cooked low and slow, smoked over wood, and treated with secret, award winning rub and sauce recipes. It was hard to go wrong with any of the vendors. All things being almost equal, the best ribs came down to a subjective preference for the balance and flavour of the rub and sauce. Nonetheless, there were a few standouts.

Check out this slideshow for a rundown of the top 15 ribs I ate at this year's Toronto Ribfest

Photos by Jesse Milns