Love 'Em, Hate 'Em, Don't Really Care

My Special Moment is a little overkill

Every now and then McDonald's "brings back McRib" and everyone goes crazy.  Since I rarely eat at McDonald's (and when I do, I favor the Quarter Pounder), I never tried a McRib.

My brother Andy LOVES them and is thrilled when they come back.  A friend at church finally tried one and decided that she likes them too.  I'd been seeing these commercials and listening to raves for a while, so I decided it was about time that I jumped on the bandwagon and try one.

On a day when I forgot to bring my lunch and had no plans to lunch with someone else, I drove through McDonald's takeout window and bought one.

McRib is a Tangy Temptation according to the box. 

I set it on my desk and considered.  If I didn't like it, I'd have wasted $1.99 and had a not-great lunch.  But it would be worse if I did like it - the cost was small, but I would be jumping on the McDonald's McRib Lemming Train and wanting one constantly while they were available and yearning for them when they weren't...

I opened the box.  The bun looked pretty good.  The sauce dripping down from the inside was appetizing.  Presentation left a bit to be desired though - and the drippage made the bottom bun a bit soggy.

Opening the top of the bun though...  First of all, it was covered with pickles and onions, which I promptly cleared off.  I am quietly famous for hating pickles and I felt like the onions were overkill.  And then there was the meat itself.  Billed as boneless rib meat, it seemed to be more like meat that had been minced and then pressed back into a form that tries to fool you into thinking you're actually getting ribs.  They were trying to fool me! 

I guess I don't have anything against pressed meat, per se.  I don't mind a chicken nugget now and then or spam or slices of ham that really aren't slices from the deli counter - but something about this just rubbed me the wrong way.  The previous items don't pretend to be anything other than what they are - but McRib wanted you to think that it was actually boneless ribs even though it looked like the bones were still in there.

I put my irritation at this subterfuge aside though, and took a bite.   And.... meh.  The sauce was good but the meat didn't actually taste like anything at all.  Including meat.  It was like chewing solid air - and it was chewy - but there was no satisfaction to be had from McRib for me. 

Honestly, I'm a bit relieved.  I hate being a slave to food cravings, and I kind of pride myself on craving the good stuff - which, to me, McRib is not.  Now... where'd that brie go?