Before the Sauce

The McRib operates on a mythology of scarcity. McDonald’s brings it back every few years—not out of generosity, but because that’s when pork prices crater low enough to justify pressing the stuff into that vaguely rib-shaped patty. The cult responds on cue, the thinkpieces appear, and somehow this particular processed pork sandwich becomes a cultural event in a way that a normal sandwich never could.

A McDonald’s employee recently photographed the frozen patties before assembly and posted them to Imgur. They look like grey foam insulation molded into the approximate shape of something that once had ribs. The kind of object you’d find behind a mattress factory. There’s a particular shade of grey that processed meat turns at sub-zero temperatures that is, once seen, impossible to un-see.

I’ve eaten several McRibs. I’ll probably eat more. The photo changes nothing and also explains everything.