McRib vs NickRib

As promised in my last post, I tried the NickRib recipe and I’m here to report back. To start with I decided that in order to truly compare the NickRib to the McRib I would need taste test them side by side. So, I went to McDonalds and paid the $3 for a McRib (all in the name of science of course).

First Impressions: While driving home from McDonalds I couldn’t help but notice that the McRib was making my car smell a little weird. I admit that I’ve had McDonalds off and on, typically on road trips because I’m hungry and they have a clean bathroom, but this was the first time that I noticed a sort of strange chemically smell. Definitely not the smell a BBQ sandwich should make.  Point 1 NickRib.

Presentation: I have to give it to McDonalds their presentation looked a bit better than mine, mostly because their patty was flat and mine was sort of hamburger looking. However, theirs definitely needed more sauce and I agree with Nick I need more than 2 pickets for the whole sandwich (although I took the onions off because I don’t like raw onions).  I think I’ll have to give this point to the McRib (although those who actually have some presentation skills will probably have no problem with this part).

Taste: Hands down the NickRib wins here! I now definitely get Nick’s reference to the McRib having a chemical taste. There really is no other way to describe it then it tasted like a science experiment. I didn’t taste pork or really BBQ, it just had that signature ‘McDonalds’ taste that somehow most of their food ends up tasting like. I’m so glad that I compared the two side by side, because this definitely helped me realize how bad their food actually tasted. With that being said I would still make some changes to the recipe (no offence Nick, I just have problems following any recipe and always tweak things to my taste).  Personally, I would add a bit more seasoning to the meat so that it jumps out more against the BBQ sauce.

All in all this was a fun experiment, and one I would definitely suggest doing yourself. It was fun to get other people’s opinion and feel like we were food critics, and I still have two patties that I put in the freeze for a quick lunch/dinner some other day. Also, it was a great reminder of why I don’t like fast food, because when you compare it ‘the real thing’ it just doesn’t come close to tasting as good.