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Cat Chat: My first McRib

By Catherine Toth Fox • November 7, 2011 • Food, Videos

Believe it or not, I’ve never had the McRib sandwich from McDonald’s.

It’s been on the fast-food giant’s menu off and on since 1981 — and every time it’s made an appearance, I’ve never been that interested in trying it.

And my interest didn’t grow when news surfaced about what’s exactly in the barbecue sauce-slathered pork patty.

According to recent news reports — including this one in the Huffington Post — whatever makes up that boneless “rib” patty is questionable. Media has reported that the pork bits that make up the meat include such things as tripe, heart and scalded stomach, not to mention the additives used as the stuff that keeps yoga mats springy and shoe soles white.

Then there’s the allegation about Smithfield Farms, the large pig producer that supplies pork for McDonald’s limited-edition McRib sandwich, and its inhumane treatment of its pigs.

So I didn’t get the nationwide fascination.

Yes, fascination.

People drive miles — even to other states — just for these pork sandwiches. And I know people — including Twitter pal Ricky Li (@rickyli99) — who love love love this sandwich.

So I had to try it for myself.

Witness my first bite of the famous — or infamous — McRib sandwich:

banana pieCat ChatHawaiiHuffington PostMcDonald'sMcRibRicky Lirickyli99twitter
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Still feeling sick; what gives?

About the Author

Catherine Toth Fox

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7 Comments

  • Reply islandgirlinnc November 7, 2011 at 2:16 am

    We have the McRib too here in the Carolinas right now. It’s limited edition too. Never had one either and not interested in trying it though watching you have it might change my mind… nah! 🙂

  • Reply Cody Zamboni November 7, 2011 at 6:41 am

    You’re no longer a McRib virgin.
    My first time was last week
    The experience didn’t live up to the hype.
    I wish I had abstained.

  • Reply M November 7, 2011 at 6:57 am

    Hello Cat, I never ate one and don’t plan too.

  • Reply rayboyjr November 7, 2011 at 8:51 am

    Hey Cat … mmmm, I’m lovin’ it … haha … never thought you’d be featuring this type of food on your blog … I grew up on this kind of … well, crap … yeah, I mostly agree that this type of fast food is nothing special … and that the McBarBeQue sauce is what disguises the plain, bland, fatty and probably unhealthy pork patty …

    … but I’ve eaten it many times before … and I will probably again … though not as much, as I have chosen to go a little more healthier now … I’ve resisted so far since it’s been back …

    …as for the hype about it’s ingredients … I think it’s mostly due to the fact that it’s a popular sandwich … because c’mon … you could find questionable ingredients in almost every fast food or convenience food or packaged food out there … if you looked closely enough … but they’re all within safety limits …

    … I’d bet we’d stop eating a lot of stuff out there if we actually knew what went in it … or was used in the processing …

  • Reply Bumper November 8, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    Wow, I’ve never had one and definitely never will after reading those ingredients! Does one just block out that knowledge while chowing down? Yuck.

  • Reply Franklin C. November 9, 2011 at 10:41 am

    Hi everyone,

    Here is an official response from McDonald’s regarding the ingredients of the McRib:

    The McRib bun is made with common baking ingredients that make the flour more stable and consistent in baking. These types of ingredients are found in lots of breads sold at restaurants and grocery stores.

    In regards to the McRib patty, it is made from ground pork including loin and shoulder. The use of other ingredients like tongue, tripe and heart is strictly prohibited (per the menu specifications given to McDonald’s pork suppliers).

  • Reply Lester Gantan March 9, 2012 at 10:50 am

    LOL @ “you broke my BBQ sauce”

    Personally, I didn’t like the McRib sandwich when I first tried it but this video might make me give it a 2nd crack

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About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

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