Make Your Own “McRib” Sandwiches!

Sad news for all fans of McDonalds fabled “McRib” sandwich: while it usually hits store shelves around October, the date has been pushed back to December this year! You’ll have to wait two months longer to have a real, authentic McRib in your hands. However, if you just can’t wait that long, why not try to make your own?! Here’s a fantastic recipe for a copycat McRib – the “mock-rib,” so to speak.

Ingredients

16 ozs ground pork
3 tbsps water
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 deli rolls
1 cup barbecue sauce (or to taste)
8 slices of dill pickle (optional)
1/2 cup chopped onions (optional)

Directions

DO AHEAD: Season ground pork with salt and sugar, and mix in water. Form meat into four patties just a little larger than the buns on a lined baking sheet. Cover it with a sheet of non-stick foil or parchment and press it gently down on the patties. Pop the whole tray into the freezer until the pork is frozen.
When you’re ready to make your sandwiches, warm up a skillet over medium heat. Slice your sandwich rolls in half and brown each center side on the pan. Set your rolls aside.
Pop your frozen patties on the heated pan for about 3-4 minutes on each side (or until it’s properly browned). Let them cool for a few minutes after cooking.
While your pork is cooling, pour 1 cup of barbecue sauce into a shallow bowl. Dip each patty into the sauce so that it’s completely covered (tongs can help). Place the patty on the bottom half of the sandwich roll.Top each patty with 2 slices of pickle and as much chopped onion as you’d like. Put the second half of bread on top, and marvel at your delicious, homemade sandwich!

Tips and Tricks

For a more “authentic” experience, if you microwave the sandwich for 15 more seconds on the highest settings, it’ll warm up the bread just as if it had been wrapped in paper!
To best approximate the McDonald’s taste, you may want to use Hunt’s Original BBQ Sauce and Sara Lee deli rolls, as these are very close to the original.

Photo Credits: Mobile App Testing, Paul J. Richards at Getty Images via NPR