Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The McRib Experiment: Prologue

On Sunday night, Theresa and I were watching the Green Bay Packers beat the living crap out of the East Texas Boys' Choir (sometimes known as the "Dallas Cowboys") when a McDonald's commercial came on.  Apparently, the good folks at Mickey D's are bringing back the McRib, without question the most controversial food item of our time.

In layman's terms, the McRib sandwich is a slab of boneless "pork" slathered in "barbecue sauce", garnished with chopped onions and sliced pickles, and served on an over-sized dinner roll.  The key feature here is that the "meat" is shaped like a rack of ribs, only there are no bones.

Brilliant, right?

When the McRib was originally introduced in 1981, it took the nation by storm.  Okay, to be honest, it took the nation by mostly cloudy skies with a chance of showers, but still, they were a new McDonald's menu item and as such, several brave individuals tried one.  I myself was a big McRib fan, and partook of the McGoodness on many occasions only to be disappointed when they were discontinued in 1985.  Since then, the McRib has made a few "limited time only" appearances, the most recent of which began on November 2nd and runs through December 5th.

Why am I telling you this?  I'll explain.

After watching the McRib commercial during the Packers - Boys' Choir game, Theresa said, "The McRib is back?  Those things are disgusting.  I've never had one in my life."

"Well, then how do you know it's disgusting?"

"Just look at it."

"Yeah, it's a rack of ribs on a bun, I've had 'em before.  They're actually pretty tasty."

"Pickles and onions, on fake meat?  No thanks.  There's no way you could get me to eat that crap."

I'm not one to pass up a challenge like that, so I've now got about five weeks to bribe, threaten, coerce, trick, or manipulate Theresa into partaking of a delectable McRib sandwich.  Now, understand that I'm not going to be ridiculous about it.  I'm sure that if I said, "Hey, Theresa, here's five hundred bucks.  Eat this McRib and it's yours," she'd down that sucker in nothing flat.  But I don't think any reasonable person would call me the winner in that particular scenario.

So the key here is for me to get her to eat the McRib for as little compensation as possible.   Sort of a "Meal or No Meal" type thing.  At least, it's going to start out that way.  But if she can't be bought or bribed, I may have to resort to trickery.

We'll see how it goes.

TO BE CONTINUED . . .




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18 comments:

J.J. in L.A. said...

I ate a McRib (for the first time) last night. Can I have the $500???

As a matter of fact, I wrote about my dining experience. Of course, I can't publish it now because you stole my thunder. ; )

Moooooog35 said...

I love the McRib.

I can't believe you posted a picture of it.

It's like I've already met my Internet porn quota for the day.

Sucks.

Grumpy, M.D. said...

I've never had one. But I generally avoid McD's. Just not a fast-food person.

Jon Hanson said...

I loves me some McRib and missed my chance in their last limited release. I WILL NOT be denied this time!!!

SD
simpledudecomplexworld.blogspot.com

Suldog said...

Bleh. I eat a lot of crap that's horrible for me, but a McRib has never passed my lips. It's partly because I'm afraid I'd find out I liked it, and I don't need to add anything to the list of foods I eat that will kill me sooner than I'd prefer, but also because it just looks so damn unappetizing.

Jenn Flynn-Shon said...

I gotta go with the majority on this one too, I think they look pretty gross. Maybe its because I can hit Redbones which is 5 minutes from my house and get vinegar cured pulled pork with homemade BBQ, onions and pickles for about the same price (and 3 times as big)... Well, now I know what's for dinner tonight...you probably heard my stomach grumble all the way out there.

Good luck on getting her through the door btw, there is no challenge quite like trying to get a woman to do what you want & she doesn't!

Unknown said...

I tried the McRib for the first time the other night. I thought it was quite tasty. Not something I'd eat often, but tasty all the same.

Heff said...

SEVERAL blogs have mentioned the Triumphant Return of the McRib (ALL in a negative light). YOURS is the only one that has mentioned its McGoodness.

I myself thought the McRib was pretty damn good for Pre-Fab pork, and will eat it AGAIN - for a limited time ONLY.

Becky said...

@Heff, I wrote about McDonald's McRib just a week or so ago. In the most glowing of lights, mainly because it's the only thing keeping me from losing my shit all over McDonald's for replacing my beloved cherry pie with baked pumpkin pies for the holidays. http://www.msbatman.com/2010/10/25/dear-mcdonalds-im-beginning-to-question-my-love-for-you/
(I even ate one of those disgusting pumpkin pies and wrote about it too. You know, b/c I'm a giver) http://www.msbatman.com/2010/10/27/where-i-take-one-for-the-team-youll-thank-me-later/
@Chris, I happen to love the McRib. I have since they first brought them out and I was working at a McDonald's. I eat more than my fair share of them. What I didn't know was my writing about it would kick off a McDonald's McRib Revolution in the blogosphere. Why aren't I getting credit for starting this????

Fred Miller said...

The McRib is mostly harmless. They are much less intimidating if you wash off the sauce and examine them. They're just wieners shaped like spare ribs from from an animal the size of a chihuahua. Probably an armadillo or 'possum or something.

And the correct pronunciation is with an l. As in McRilb.

IT (aka Ivan Toblog) said...

Mickey D's is fast food everywhere but here, where I live. Once the customer gets the attention of the employee to place their order it's a 50-50 chance the order will come in a reasonable amount of time. I think the fountains at Woolworths were faster.
I don't think I would dare to try something new there.

~j said...

hubby1 adores/worships/dreams about/ponders buying and freezing McRibs for the rest of the year....

I leave the room when I see the McDonald's bag...they smell gross and look worse....

Expat From Hell said...

Living in North Texas, I can say this with confidence: McRibs are the Dallas Cowboys of the sandwich world. All bread, and no substance! Help! I am surrounded by them here! EFH

Peter Varvel said...

The McRib sandwich is not disgusting.
The SHAMROCK SHAKE is disgusting!
Everything is tinted green when you, um, "evacuate."

MikeWJ at Too Many Mornings said...

Okay, this is weird. This week, I had an almost overwhelming urge to eat a McRib sandwich, which I've never had. I stared and stared and stared at the giant McRib on the poster at McDonald's, debating. But I decided not to do it on account of the oddity of the construction of the sandwich.

Then a friend told me all about America's McRib fan clubs and the nutty people who belong to them.

Then I just read a post on Janna's site about the McRib.

Then I came directly here and read your post about the McRib.

Now I'm wondering if I ought rush out to the nearest McDonald's and order a McRib sandwich.

Maybe I should. Theresa is welcome to join me if she'd like.

Janna said...

You can reassure Theresa that they're NOT really "Fake Meat".

It's real meat, it's just shaped in some freakishly weird unnatural way to falsely suggest that it used to be part of an unknown creature's rib cage.

I'm drooling already.

No, wait!
I have to keep reminding myself, I already tried one on Monday and was disappointed because it wasn't as good as I remembered.
The meat was ok, I guess; it was just the sauce that was flavorless. Too bland. I guess they have to cater to all the wimps out there who are afraid of actual flavor.

Murr Brewster said...

I've never been, but thanks for explaining it to me. I always imagined having to spit out the bones, which always ruins a sandwich for me. Such a fussypants.

wadeckiburn said...

I love the McRib, have since they first introduced it and always disappointed when they stop. Was glad when they bought it back, stopped at a Mickey D`s and bought 4, was going to freeze them (anyone know how, would appreciate it), but when I got home ate 1 but sauce was extremely spicy hot( sure don`t remember it being that spicy before)so I ate another one just in case, same as the first one. What`s up Mickey D`s? trying to discourage us before you end the reign of the Crown Prince?

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