McRib 2.0: Meet McDonald’s McRibster 
 
 McDonald’s doesn’t often mess around with signature menu items. The Big Mac and Quarter Pounder don’t change. I’d have put the McRib among the iconic untouchables except McDonald’s just messed with it. 
 
 Joining the menu today at McDonald’s restaurants across Austria is the McRibster, a snazzier version of the classic sandwich. McDonald’s describes the McRibster as “juicy pork, bacon, pepper-Jack cheese, and crunchy iceberg lettuce, red onion, delicious honey-mustard sauce and spicy sweet chili sauce.” 
 
 It looks good but it looks more like a pork tenderloin sandwich with its breaded and fried pork patty than like a McRib with its fabulous greasiness. And pepper-Jack cheese? Will McRib fanatics appreciate the makeover? 
 
 The McRibster is part of an LTO menu in Austria that includes the new Crispy Caesar Chickn sandwich and the return of the popular 1955 Burger, introduced there last year. 
 
 Don’t panic. McDonald’s isn’t giving up on the original McRib with barbecue sauce, of course. It’s back on the menu in Spain as limited-time treat right now. A TV spot promoting the sandwich there is noteworthy for never showing the McRib. It’s all Jason Mraz-style ukele and warm feelings. Watch it here. And the word in Australia is that McDonald’s finally will take the classic McRib down under as a promotional item this year during the London Summer Olympics. ||||| If you've ever eaten a McRib, your first reaction probably wasn't, "This could really use some cheese and bacon. And a dip in a deep fryer." But luckily for the novelty-seekers among us, that was the response of some wild person working for McDonald's Austria, which just introduced a sandwich called the "McRibster" to its menu. 
 
 Eater describes the sandwich as a "deep-fried McRib with bacon on it." For the record, it's also topped with cheese and "spicy-sweet chili sauce;" no wonder it has its own Facebook page. 
 
 The company website describes the sandwich's components as "234g Weizenbrötchen mit Maisgrieß Bestreuung, würzige Saucen Sweet Chili und Honig -Senf, Schweinefleisch, Schinkenspeck, würzige Käsescheiben, Eisbergsalat und Zwiebeln. (Für dieses liegen die Angaben für Zucker, Ballaststoffe, und gesättige Fettsäuren nicht vor sind mit 0 angegeben.)", which Google Translate says means: 
 
 234g wheat bread sprinkled with corn meal, spicy sweet chili sauce and honey mustard, pork, ham, bacon, spicy cheese slices, lettuce and onions. (For the details of this are for sugar, fiber, and Saturated fatty acids are still not specified as 0.) 
 
 The editors of HuffPost Food have a solid background in German and are going to have to disagree Google on this one. Its formidable servers may have missed some of the idiomatic subtlety of the Austrian German here. We'd be more likely to translate that ingredient list as "heart attack." Good thing it's only available for a limited time! ||||| Every time McDonald's trots out its McRib sandwich, fans clamor for the saucy, vaguely pork-y delicacy. But will they be wiling to go to Austria for the McRibster? 
 
 According to the ad, the McRibster features, "Saftiges Schweinefleisch, Speck, Pepper Jack Käse*, knackinger Eisbergsalat, rote Zwiebeln, köstliche Honig Senf-Sauce und würzige Sweet Chili-Sauce." 
 
 Thankfully, the folks at BurgerBusiness.com translated that as "juicy pork, bacon, pepper-Jack cheese, and crunchy iceberg lettuce, red onion, delicious honey-mustard sauce and spicy sweet chili sauce." 
 
 The limited-time offer seems even less rib-like than the McRib. At least that has barbecue sauce. The McRibster reminds us of a fried pork chop sandwich. If anyone is traveling in Austria (or if you happen to reside there) while it's on the menu, we'd definitely love to hear what this sandwich tastes like. 
 
 McRib 2.0: Meet McDonald's McRibster [BurgerBusiness.com] 
 
 
 
 From ConsumerReports.org:
– Everyone knows the McRib is awesome, inspiring obsessed devotees to drive 10 hours for a taste. But what would be awesomer? How about breading the "rib" meat, deep-frying it, topping it with cheese, throwing on some "spicy-sweet chili sauce" and honey mustard, and then, because that's not quite enough, adding bacon? That's exactly what Austria did when it created the McRibster, a new sandwich that will require you to book an airline ticket right now, because it's only available until March 27. Some reactions: Huffington Post: "If you've ever eaten a McRib, your first reaction probably wasn't, 'This could really use some cheese and bacon. And a dip in a deep fryer.'" Consumerist: "What in holy heck is the McRibster and why can't we get one here?" It sounds "even less rib-like than the McRib. At least that has barbecue sauce." Burger Business: "It looks good but it looks more like a pork tenderloin sandwich with its breaded and fried pork patty than like a McRib with its fabulous greasiness." In case you're wondering what that "rib" meat really is, according to the official website and Google Translate, it's pork and ham. Can't make it to Austria in time? Well, at least you can "like" the McRibster on its Facebook page. (In much more serious McRib news, click to see what McDonald's is doing to make the sandwich more humane.)