Rib Slayer Mobile Catering Service.

575 NE 2nd St., McMinnville, OR 97128

Office (503) 472-1309 Mobile 503.550.7388

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Rib Slayer - Craig and Theresa

The 8,900-pound barbecue is a competition-level smoker
By YVETTE SAARINEN
Of the News-Register

Craig Haagenson is as happy as a kid with a new train set. In fact, his new barbecue, dubbed The Ribslayer, could pass for a model engine if it weren't for its size. It's huge.

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The new Ribslayer was built for Haagenson's McMinnville operation, Haagenson's Catering and BBQ, by Klose BBQ of Houston, Texas. At 25 feet and 8,900 pounds, it dwarfs the old one, only half its size.

The six-wheeled beast, featuring five coats of black paint, now resides in the Second Street parking lot in front of Haagenson's small restaurant. He hauls it to catering jobs behind a Ford F-250 three-quarter-ton pickup.

The Ribslayer has three smoker boxes with a total of 16 shelves, a set of massive, counter-weighted doors, a wood rack along one side, and a staging area up front can hold either warming or cooling containers.

It produces authentic wood-smoked meats at temperatures of 220 to 240 degrees, burning cherry, apple, mesquite, oak, alder or some combination thereof. A-1 Logging of Carlton supplies the wood.

Propane is used to get a fire going, eliminating any need for charcoal or pellets. The firebox features a flue to regulate air flow.

The design allows the smoke to envelop the meat before exiting through a top vent. The shelving may be removed to accommodate large items, such as a whole pig, or replaced by rods for the hanging of sausage or salmon.

Haagenson used to spend $40 a day on charcoal or pellets to fire up his old cooker. With the new one, he spends $40 a month on propane.

Haagenson declined to reveal the price. "Let's just say it was a big investment," he said.

The Ribslayer, can smoke more than 1,000 pounds of meat at a time, accommodating Haagenson's catering and restaurant businesses as well as his farmers market booth.

Chicken is slow-roasted for three hours, ribs for five hours and briskets for eight hours. They're all offered with his secret sauce.

Considered a competition-level smoker, The Ribslayer is one of the largest in the Portland metropolitan area. Haagenson, who has spent 20 years in the food business and five years in the barbecue business, is looking forward to using it in barbecue competitions like June's Brew and BBQ, being sponsored by Habitat for Humanity in conjunction with Linfield College.

Haagenson attended City College of San Francisco's hotel and restaurant program and the San Francisco Culinary Academy. He and his wife, Theresa, live in Carlton.

He has considerable experience in the kitchens of San Francisco Bay Area dinner houses. He also has served as a corporate food service manager with Sodexho and banquet chef for Hyatt Corp.

Haagenson said his love of barbecue is aimed at providing customers with a unique blend of Oregon-inspired cuisine year-around.

Ribslayer To Go is tucked into retail space at 575 N.E. Second St., across from the United Methodist Church. In addition to hot food, it offers a variety of rubs and sauces, ranging from the mild Cry Baby to the blazing Beyond Death.

It's open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Catering services and food for pickup may be arranged at 503-472-1309.