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At this site pushing for the McRib's retirement the following (largely regional) beef is laid out on the pork sandwich:

1) The McRib has nothing to do with anything remotely rib in nature. It is merely a formed,boneless pork patty with artificial grill marks.
2) The McRib has nothing to do with anything truly Barbeque as defined as hot smoked, slow cooked meats with in-direct heat.
3) The McRib with it's pickles, onions, boneless pork patty and sauce discredit two great sandwiches:
(A) A beef brisket sandwich which is more properly the creation of the State of Texas.
(B) A pork barbeque sandwich which is more properly the creation of the South (including: North Carolina, South Carolina and adjoining states east of the Mississippi).

Here in the South we're serious about our barbecue -- and I'm told Texans will get into fistfights over theirs, too.

No surprise then, to learn that the McRib was created at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln -- which may excuse the barbecue obliviousness. Still, you'd think Nebraskans would know and respect their meat more than this.

But regional conflicts and absolutist rhetoric aside, I think there's only one really important question: how's it taste?

The answer: Eh.

Eating a McRib is a messy prospect, certainly -- if you don't have a bib handy you should probably bring an extra shirt, just in case. But beyond the taste cue of the barbecue sauce, there's really not much in the way of taste to clue you in to exactly what you're eating. If you didn't know it was processed pork you'd be forgiven for thinking it was processed chicken, beef or even a veggie burger cut into the shape of ribs as some sort of sick joke. It brings you back to your high school cafeteria, where the warmed over gray meats served with buns and ketchup were sort of interchangeable.

I think the pickles are not a bad addition, if only to counter the overpowering generic tanginess of the barbecue sauce -- but the onions are a bit much.

One of the reasons given for the McRib's inability to make it on the regular, permanent McDonald's menu is that Americans are less comfortable stuffing their mouth with pork than with beef.

Indeed, my lunchmate today smirked at me as I stuffed the McRib messily into my mouth and said: "Wow...can you actually feel your arteries clogging?"

I looked at her Big Mac and fought the urge to actually roll my eyes.

How bad is it for you, really? Let's do the numbers:

The McRib Sandwich breakdown

Calories: 500
Total Fat: 26
Saturated Fat: 10
Cholesterol: 70
Sodium: 980
Carbohydrates: 44
Dietary Fiber: 3
Protein: 22

Not so bad, as fast food goes. Fewer calories and less fat than a Big Mac (calories: 540, fat: 29). Better for you even than a quarter pounder with cheese (calories: 510, fat: 26).

But, you know, those are actually delicious.