McRib facts for kids
The McRib is a tasty barbecue-flavored pork sandwich sold by the famous fast food chain McDonald's. It first appeared on the menu in 1981.
The McRib is not always available. It usually shows up for a short time each year, often in the fall. However, in Germany and Luxembourg, you can find it on the menu all the time!
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What is the McRib?
The McRib sandwich has a special boneless pork patty that looks like a small rack of ribs. It's covered in barbecue sauce and topped with onions and pickles. All of this is served on a 5½ inch (14 cm) roll.
The idea for shaping the meat this way came from the US Army. They wanted to find ways to make low-cost meat for soldiers. A scientist named Dr. Roger Mandigo helped create the process that led to the McRib patty. The patty is mostly made from ground pork shoulder.
The McRib Jr. was a smaller version of the sandwich that was available for a short time in 2000. It used a regular hamburger bun and had a smaller pork patty.
The Story of the McRib
Early Years (1981–2004)
The McRib first came out in the United States in 1981. It was created by McDonald's first Executive Chef, René Arend. He also invented the popular Chicken McNuggets in 1979.
Chef Arend said that the McRib was created because McNuggets were so popular that there wasn't enough chicken for all the restaurants. So, they needed a new product, and the McRib was born! He decided to shape the patty like ribs, even though a round patty would have been easier to make.
At first, the McRib didn't sell very well in the United States, so it was removed from the menu in 1985. But it came back for special promotions over the years. In 1994, McDonald's brought it back across the country to celebrate The Flintstones movie, since the sandwich looked like the giant ribs from the cartoon.
Recent Appearances (2005–Present)
In 2005, McDonald's announced that the McRib would be removed permanently after a "farewell tour." But guess what? It kept coming back! It reappeared in the United States in 2007, 2008, and many times after that.
In 2010, the McRib was available nationwide in the United States for six weeks. This was the first time it had been offered across the whole country since 1994! It helped McDonald's sales a lot that month.
The McRib has also made appearances in other countries. In 2011, it was sold in Canada. In 2012, it returned to Australia and New Zealand as the "Atlanta Pork McRib" to celebrate the London Olympics.
For 2020, McDonald’s announced that the McRib would be available nationwide in the United States again, starting in December. It also returned to Australia for a limited time.
Animal Welfare Concerns
In 2011, there were some concerns raised about how the animals used for the McRib meat were raised. These concerns were about the living conditions and care of the pigs.
Why is it Only Available Sometimes?
People often wonder why the McRib isn't always on the menu. There are a few ideas about this:
- The price of pork can change a lot, and it might be cheaper to buy pork at certain times of the year.
- Making the McRib available only sometimes can make people more excited to buy it when it does appear. It's like a special treat!
McDonald's says that they offer the McRib for a limited time because they want to have a different menu throughout the year.
See also
