When will the McRib be back? Nom, nom, nom.

[Sanjuro]

A culinary masterpiece for a limited time!

For the first time in 16 years, McDonald's Corp. will offer the McRib at outlets across the U.S., but even then, only for six weeks or so. "It doesn't sell well all year long because people get tired of it," says McDonald's USA President Jan Fields.

Okay, Im not proud of this but I tried one of these for the first time today... Here was the package:

So far so good:

Ok, so it doesn't look like the picture. No surprise, but at least I can see a couple of the rib shapes poking out of the sides... thats a start, right?

WTF?? That CERTAINLY doesn't look like the picture!! But it will look a lot worse once masticated. Maybe thats not such a big deal. LOL

OK, first bite... well its certainly saucy... not a bad sauce but the patty is ...whats the word... "mealy" maybe? And the only resemblance to REAL ribs is the messiness. I guess thats part of the 'experience'.

As I finished it off, I was drawn back to the package.. Mostly in disbelief that they get away with false advertising by posing that picture as representative of the real deal, but also to read the text on the side. Seems to be playing up on what Serendip said about "comfort food" tapping into childhood. Makes sense I guess.... I mean why the hell else would they still make candy corn?


Well it was interesting. The sauce is why people come back I think. Seems I could do without the reconstituted pork product and be just fine. Not for me, but at least I can say I tried it.

i'm full of McHate right now... effing diet.

nutritional information for the whole McRib sandwich.

500 calories (which is one-third of my max daily caloric intake)
26g fat,
44g carbohydrates and
22g protein.

My carb-balanced diet daily range is:
calories 1,200 - 1,550
carb grams 163 - 236
fat grams 32 - 56
protein grams 60 - 127

[Liv]

I remember that one year they brought it back like every other month....

I'm not big on BBQ, and I tried one a few years back and thought they were pretty good.

I'm not one to rush out and get one, but if I was in the right mood, I might consider buying one.

[Serendipitous]

mmmmmmmmm

Honestly, the McRib now holds "comfort food" quality for me. It doesn't taste great, but is linked to some memories from childhood and college (I guess that's still childhood really!) And that comfort is also probably everything to do with what Spurlock described in "Super Size Me" regarding getting happy from eating such ickiness.

Okay, Im not proud of this but I tried one of these for the first time today...

SUCKER!!!!

Okay now, seriously... this sandwich was fine for a two-legged garbage grinder that ate just about everything except for real meats, fresh fruits and veggies, and so on. Back in those days, we also had daily physical education classes and ran lap after lap and could tolerate the McCrap a little better.

The pork rib patty is probably made in the same general way that they make the chicken mcnuggets. Just imagine whatever kind of pork meat paste fills up a mold that looks like a patty with "a couple of rib shapes poking out of the sides." It definitely does not have the texture of a true pork rib, but I am also doubtful that they ever intended for it to seem like a "real" pork rib.

I agree. The sauce is probably what sells the sandwich. Also the bun is specific to the McRib.

Comfort food or emotional eating is the only thing that makes sense to me as far as why an adult would deliberately seek out one of these sammiches. (In Sanjuros' case, it appears to be curiosity over what's the big effing deal with these?) I guess it also is not a regular item so that adds to variety on the menu. However I go to McD's so infrequently these days, I don't need to change it up! If I go to McD's it's because of a Big Mac craving.

[Liv]

Took one today to Shan for lunch.... She seemed "meh" on it, and she's the BBQ expert... however, I'm not really into BBQ, and I enjoyed it quite a bit... I was also very stressed after taking a 50 minute exam at 300MPH... and it now being Friday.

[A Person]

I had a nice side of pork ribs tonight. The real thing on the bone and seasoned with lemon juice and Montreal seasoning (coarse salt, black pepper, chile and coriander.) Coupled with home made oven fries and roast butternut squash and a side of Smokin' Stampede BBQ sauce

McDonald's can kep their reconstituted, mechanically separated pork and pork byproduct patty, cooked, frozen and warmed over and put in a flavorless bun.

[Liv]

Very interesting article on the McRib here.

Apparently the sandwich is made with pork trimmings. Pig tounge, heart, stomach and created by a Chef from Strasbourg. It was designed to mimic South Carolina BBQ:

In 1981 McDonald's introduced a boneless pork sandwich of chunked and formed meat called the McRib, developed in part through check-off funds [micro-donations from pork producers] from the NPPC [National Pork Producers Council].

And as to why McRib isn't a full time menu item?

And to this day, the McRib comes and goes from the McDonald's menu for reasons that have to do with its intense popularity and a national supply of pork trimmings that's typically a lot more limited than the supply of beef trimmings.

"If you suddenly start to buy a large amount of that material," said Mandigo, "the price starts to rise."

As the cost to McDonald's rises, the McRib tends to go out of circulation again.

Very interesting.