Copycat McRib Sandwich Recipe
Why wait for the McRib to return when you've got an amazing rib sandwich recipe? Learn more about the fabled McRib sandwich while creating one that takes it over the top. Ribs are smoked to perfection before the meat joins homemade pickles, caramelized onions, and custom BBQ sauce on a buttery brioche bun.
Ingredients
- 1 slab leftover cooked baby back ribs
- 1 large onion, sliced or chopped
- 6 sandwich pickle slices
- 3 quality buns
Method
- Prep. Slice the rib slab into individual bones, and carefully run a sharp knife along the bones to remove the meat trying not to hack off any cartilage. Then chop the meat into 1/2" (1.3 cm) chunks.
- Cook. Reheat the meat in a pan with a little barbecue sauce, or, my preference, in the microwave, without sauce.
- Either chop the onion and serve it raw on the sandwich, or can cook it. You can just lightly cook it in some butter in a pan or grill it, or you can slowly caramelize it. Caramelizing it makes the onion into a sweet relish that obviates the need for sauce.
- Toast the bun under the broiler to make it crunchy. I think this is an important step.
- Assemble the sandwich with a heaping scoop of chopped meat and 1 or 2 tablespoons of sauce on top if you must. Then mount the onions and pickles.
- Serve. Immediately serve the sandwiches with sweet potato steak fries and slaw.
Notes
About the ribs. You can use either baby backs or spare ribs or St. Louis Cut. Baby backs are slightly leaner. Make my Last Meal Ribs yourself, or use leftovers from a trip to your favorite rib joint.
Sauce is optional. I skipped the sauce because the small amount remaining from the original cook is enough for me. No need to hide this meat! But if you must, keep it to no more than 2 tablespoons per sammie. And for real goodness sake, make your own! At a certain age, every adult should have a signature home made barbecue sauce that guests can marvel over. There are numerous regional variations, from the typical tomato and molasses style of Kansas City to the mustardy sauces of South Carolina to the vinegary sauces of North Carolina to the thin tomato soupy sauces of the Texas Hill Country. Click here for your choice of barbecue sauce recipes.
About the pickles. You can buy them, or better still, make them yourself. They're easy, and you don't get any of the preservatives.
About the buns. I like a serious bun like a brioche or pretzel roll, as in the picture at the top of the page.
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