# McRib Mania! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991 "2010-11-09T02:45:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/61 "2010-11-10T21:21:39Z")
> [@Johnny\_Angel](#): > > You know what else turns out to be available all-year around? Actual ribs. … It’s not actually that much more expensive than eating at McDonalds. Pork ribs cost 2 to 3 times more than ground pork. And, you pay for the bones too. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/62 "2010-11-10T22:24:39Z")
The answers to those questions are all in the facts of the restaurant biz and the pork biz. There’s no mystery to it. Why occasional? The fast-food world is a cutthroat race, with all the competitors scrambling for the same customers. They all want to lure us in with The New Thing. They cycle through the mushroom Swiss thing, the Texas woo-hoo thing, the thing that will drip melted orange cheez on your lap, and the thing that’s so spicy you’ll weep. The now-and-then McRib makes us want to go get one NOW, and that’s the point. Sometimes, the menu is changed due to glitches in the food supply. When a frost or listeria problem makes lettuce scarce, they’ll sell us something without lettuce, for example. The selling of the pressed pork sandwich to McDonalds was a major triumph for Pork Producers here in Indiana and across the land. Yes, it’s all pork. **Qwakkedup** is correct that today’s pig is different from grandpa’s hog. They are now harvested younger than before, and they are leaner. Because of the short time to market, the pork biz can quickly adjust to fluctuations in demand. Pig poop can be fermented to make methane, not biodiesel. So far, the poop is seen as a problem, rather than a resource. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/63 "2010-11-11T02:56:09Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Well, as far as I can tell, the Double Down is made with items that KFC already has in the store, so they don’t have to worry about extra space. People who have never worked fast food don’t realized how packed to the gills the stores are. The Angus burgers pretty much overstocked McDonald’s. Newer stores are actually getting fitted with new prep tables that have plenty of empty slots for expansion. > > Which is really the brilliance of Taco Bell. They can constantly release “new” items using almost nothing but ingredients they already have on hand. Which was noted by [The Onion.](http://www.theonion.com/articles/taco-bells-five-ingredients-combined-in-totally-ne,3781/) ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/64 "2010-11-11T04:26:02Z")
IIRC the Wendy’s Spicy Chicken sandwich used to be a seasonal or “special” item which Wendy’s then decided to capitalize upon year-round. And I’m damn glad they did, too, although they have wimped down on the heat level compared to the first versions, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/65 "2010-11-11T07:22:08Z")
> [@Amblydoper](#): > > Pork ribs cost 2 to 3 times more than ground pork. And, you pay for the bones too. And who the hell wants bones in their sandwich, anyway? Pulled pork, pressed pork, shredded pork… it’s all still pork (with soybeans in many cases, and whatever else they add). Just sayin - it’s not real “put on your bib and get out the moist towelettes” ribs. But it’s a sandwich… with barbecue sauce. And I’m gonna’ grab one tomorrow (it’s been at least 10 years since my last one). ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/66 "2010-11-12T18:46:47Z")
:o ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/67 "2013-11-15T03:07:57Z")
Well, I guess we’ll have to disagree about that. But just in case you wanted to see what a still-frozen McRib looks like: [Frozen McRib Photo Will Make You Question Everything In Life [UPDATED] | HuffPost Impact](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/12/frozen-mcrib_n_4260461.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular) ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/68 "2013-11-15T03:16:19Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > And all those people eating McRibs are not eating Big Macs and Quarter Pounders. If the McRib was a permanent item, it’s not just that we’d drive pigs to extinction, but in no time the world would be overrun with cows. Well not quite… if we had too many calves, we’d just seperate the bulls from the cows. But if there are no sows , there can be no piglets. Farmers of course know how many sows and boars to keep though… How many pig farmers are so dim that they sell their last few breeding sows for a quick buck ? (And very very few are so dim they’d barter their pigs for deer- whether doe or buck. ) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/69 "2013-11-15T03:26:00Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > How many pig farmers are so dim that they sell their last few breeding sows for a quick buck ? I don’t know, but I have some wood for sheep. ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/70 "2013-11-15T04:20:17Z")
This makes the case the McDonalds is engaging in arbitrage buy only selling the McRib when pork prices are low. > **[A Conspiracy of Hogs: The McRib as Arbitrage](https://www.theawl.com/2011/11/a-conspiracy-of-hogs-the-mcrib-as-arbitrage/)** > > What the McRib says about us as a society is worse than any conspiracy theoryby Willy StaleyOne of McDonald’s most divisive products, the McRib, made its return last week. For three decades, the sandwich has come in ... A counterpoint is that it goes out of production because they don’t sell that many once the initial excitement dies down. > **[Does the McRib "Pork Price" Theory Make Any Sense? - Freakonomics](https://freakonomics.com/2011/12/does-the-mcrib-pork-price-theory-make-any-sense/)** > > The McRib is the Brigadoon of the food world, and inspires similar passion. Consider Willy Staley's long and entertaining report at the Awl, which wonders if the McRib's very occasional appearances are related to low pork prices. Dan Hamermesh found... Off topic, but as far as McDonalds goes could I get a cracked egg in a bacon egg and cheese biscuit, or bacon in a McMuffin without confusing and/or ticking off the crew? ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/71 "2013-11-15T04:24:55Z")
[11 Aamazing Facts About The McRib](http://finance.yahoo.com/news/11-amazing-facts-about-the-mcdonald-s-mcrib-170212930.html) Just the list below - the full article expands on these. 1. The McRib came about because of a shortage of chickens. 2. The McRib was inspired by Southern BBQ. 3. The McRib is a product of “restructured meat technology.” 4. The whole process from fresh pork to frozen McRib takes about 45 minutes. 5. The entire McRib sandwich contains about 70 ingredients — including a flour-bleaching agent used in yoga mats. 6. The McRib debuted in 1981, disappeared in 1985, and has resurfaced from time-to-time since 1994. 7. Individual restaurants can actually order the ingredients for the McRib at any time. 8. McDonald’s keeps the McRib scarce because the sandwich’s entire brand relies on it. 9. It’d be incredibly difficult for McDonald’s to create more McRib-esque products, because that cult-like following is so hard to replicate. 10. There’s also speculation that the McRib is really just a big commodity trade by McDonald’s. 11. Animal rights group sues McRib meat supplier over inhumane treatment of pigs. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/72 "2013-11-15T04:33:09Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > [11 Aamazing Facts About The McRib](http://finance.yahoo.com/news/11-amazing-facts-about-the-mcdonald-s-mcrib-170212930.html) > > 1. The McRib is a product of “restructured meat technology.” Which means: > [@](#): > > …“restructured meat product” contains a mixture of tripe, heart, and scalded stomach, which is then mixed with salt and water to extract proteins from the muscle. The proteins bind all the pork trimmings together so that it can be re-molded into any specific shape — in this case, a fake slab of ribs. Boy, am I hungry now. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/73 "2013-11-15T04:42:37Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Which means:Boy, am I hungry now. Hey, if you weren’t put off by “restructured meat technology,” the details shouldn’t be a problem. 🙂 I’ve never tried a McRib because, well, when I think “McDonalds” and “ribs,” I’m pretty sure terms like restructured meat technology are in the offing. ---
**Author:** ![SpyOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@SpyOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpyOne)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/74 "2013-11-15T11:40:57Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > WAG based on the way that the chain I work for does things; > > Asking to have an ingredient left off of a sandwich doesn’t decrease the price of the sandwich in the same way that, say, adding an extra patty would increase its price. Ergo, ringing up a Sausage McGriddle (no sausage) would cost the same as a regular Sausage McGriddle - the customer is still paying for the sausage they aren’t getting. When I worked for McDonald’s, over 2 decades ago, they tracked everything in the store. If you dropped a bun on the floor, there was a special trash can that the managers counted everything in, because they had to account for that bun. So they can’t just “leave the sausage off”, because that would leave them with an extra sausage patty. They need to figure out how to tell the computer that handles inventory that this sandwich doesn’t get sausage. Back to McRib: I had heard that McRib was created due to supply chain issues with McNuggets. They couldn’t get enough chicken for the whole US, so they slapped together a pork sandwhich to fill the gap. I don’t know, but I’d guess the “limited time” thing boosts sales, so they wind up selling more in a year by offering for only a couple of months. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/75 "2013-11-15T12:45:37Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > I think the bigger question then is–why does demand for the McRib benefit from limited availability, and the same is not true for, say, the McDouble or the Filet-o-Fish? Is there some metric which says that people will eat a Big Mac every week, but quickly grow tired of the McRib? For fish, it may need to be always available for its side-effects. If you have one person in a party of four or five who wants fish, you may lose that whole group if it’s not available. There’s also the no-meat-on-Friday-for-religious-reasons crowd, which means you have to have it available year-round anyway. Is the McDouble around any more? Wasn’t it always a trial/limited time item? On another topic, how seasonal is the pork market? Does the demand for Christmas/Easter hams drive the cost of pork higher then? Or maybe drive the cost of other cuts of pork lower? Are McRibs usually available at around the same time of year, when the cost of pork is lower, giving higher profit for the same item cost? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/76 "2013-11-15T13:21:44Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > But just in case you wanted to see what a still-frozen McRib looks like: [Frozen McRib Photo Will Make You Question Everything In Life [UPDATED] | HuffPost Impact](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/12/frozen-mcrib_n_4260461.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular) Looks the color of cooked pork, that has been frozen, OK and run over by a tracked vehicle, but still… ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/77 "2013-11-15T14:36:04Z")
It’s all marketing: [http://www.inc.com/articles/201110/marketing-lessons-from-the-mcdonalds-mcrib.html](http://www.inc.com/articles/201110/marketing-lessons-from-the-mcdonalds-mcrib.html) ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/78 "2013-11-15T14:37:33Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > I’m in a pork culture now, and yet the McRib isn’t available. I kind of wish it were. I want to give it another shot. On the other hand, there’s an authentic _carnitas_ restaurant near work, so I guess I’ll just have to survive. I’ve never tried asking for BBQ sauce, sauteed onion, and pickle with my _carnitas_ before. I wonder how they’d react? That sounds amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/79 "2013-11-15T15:26:26Z")
> [@SpyOne](#): > > So they can’t just “leave the sausage off”, because that would leave them with an extra sausage patty. They need to figure out how to tell the computer that handles inventory that this sandwich doesn’t get sausage. Holy shit. I can’t believe I still have brain cells wired to remember “hold the pickles, hold the lettuce; special orders don’t upset us…”, BK’s attempt to capitalize on this. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991/80 "2013-11-15T16:37:04Z")
Are we sure they’re not made from zombies? “McRib, it’s technically meat!\*” \*in some jurisdictions, local restrictions may apply. Always wear eye protection when handling McRib “meat”. If ingested, please consult a mortician. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcrib-mania/559991.md?page=5)