"There's a whole food science behind it. It's cheaper, faster products," she said. But sometimes "how does it taste?" is all consumers really want to know. Even so, Vanderwall said the McRib ingredient list "reminds me of a chemistry lab."

The McRib is rising from the ashes once again. On Friday, McDonald's confirmed to Today.com that the McRib, a sandwich it swore was done forever in 2022, is coming back to select restaurants in November 2023.

Sales were mediocre, however, and it was removed in 1985 as McDonald's executives determined that pork is not eaten frequently enough in the United States to stay on the menu.

Last November, McDonald's took McRibs off the menu at the end of a “farewell tour” for the sandwich. The McRib debuted in 1981 and has been on and off the chain's menu since then. There have been several “farewell tours” for the sandwich made of a boneless pork patty, barbeque sauce, dill pickles and onions.

The McRib starts with seasoned boneless pork dipped in a tangy BBQ sauce, topped with slivered onions and dill pickles, all served on a toasted homestyle bun. When everything combines you have BBQ pork sandwich perfection. But its availability is limited - we'll make sure to let you know when the McRib is back.

The McDonald's McRib is a perfectly mediocre sandwich wrapped in an intoxicating aura of rarity and mystique. Is it as good as the legends say? Of course not. It's a mystery meat sandwich encased in pungent barbecue ooze.

Will 2022 have the shortest US McRib Season in the past decade?

(NEXSTAR) – What fools we were to believe McDonald's was retiring the McRib! Despite throwing a “farewell tour” for its seasonal McRib sandwich in 2022, McDonald's has confirmed the item's return to select restaurants next month.

According to McDonald's, McRibs are primarily made of ground boneless pork shoulder emulsified with water, spices, dextrose sugar, and preservatives to refine its flavor and texture.

Last year, the sandwich appeared on the menu for a limited-time basis. It's a permanent menu item at McDonald's restaurants in Germany and Luxembourg. Mike Bullington, the senior archives manager for McDonald's, said in a news release last year that the McRib was designed to be "enjoyed during the colder seasons."

McDonald's has initiated multiple McRib farewell tours since the early 2000s, including 2005, 2006 and 2007. In 2020, it came back to the menu for the first time in eight years following an online campaign run by netizens.

In 2005, 2006 and 2007, the McRib had similar “farewell tours,” according to Insider, but kept returning the following year. After 2012, the sandwich vanished for eight years. And now, McDonald's is up to its old tricks once again.