The McRib (a post not for the faint of heart)

Monday, December 13, 2010
Here at the cabin, we live a good 2.5 hour drive to the nearest McDonald's. We're not so far removed from fast food culture that I haven't heard about a little sandwich called the McRib. Apparently this barbecue pork sandwich is fashioned to look like a faux rack of ribs (on a bun) and people go crazy for it during its brief, semi-annual stints on McDonald's menu.

At the cabin we have a slightly more intimate relationship with the food eat. When Andy shot a deer last month, we dutifully butchered the deer and stuffed the new chest freezer full of steaks and ground meat. Throughout the process, we put the meat and suet scraps out for the birds. When we'd gotten every bit of meat we would use, we were left with a carcass. More specifically, a rib cage.

What to do, what to do?

Andy had an idea.

Now we have a "McRib" sandwich screwed to the pine outside the kitchen window.


For the record, the birds love it. At any given moment throughout the day, you can find woodpeckers, jays, chickadees, and nuthatches taking a nibble of suet. Squirrels will chomp down on the bone to get their daily calcium quota. And I think we've had a nighttime pine marten visitor stopping by for a midnight snack as well.





I realize we might be a opening a can of worms and that this all kind of sounds like an entry for one of those "You Know You're a Red-Neck" daily calendar. You know, January 4: "You know you're a red-neck when you nail a deer carcass to the tree 'for the birds.'"

(Note: Paula, we missed every bit of the huge snow storm that hit more southern parts of Minnesota.We're not too sad about it. We have plenty of snow for the time being. It is a bit nippy though: temps below zero F)

5 comments:

  1. Glad you are ok. I love this post. It makes lots of sense to me yet I understand why it might be not for everyone! I love it as long as no wolves around.....I do have my limits ;-)))

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  2. Paula sent me over to visit...so glad I listened to her :)

    Living 2.5 hours from a McD sounds like heaven...If Walmart is that far as well I would say you are living in complete Nirvana.

    I love that you use every part of the deer. I bet the birds really appreciate the food.

    Btw, I think the snow that missed you hit us here in northern Michigan.

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  3. What a fantastic idea! It may even be a deer deterrent, after all, do you really want to eat where your best friends ribs are hanging from a tree? Ya, I know, they are not that bright. I love the deer we get but there do get to be too many. Next year hubby is hunting and I think we will try this idea for our birds and flying squirrels.

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  4. You're not wasting anything. You're making use of every bit of the animal, and I think that's important. I have a lot of respect for that.

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  5. Yes there is a chance that this could turn into one of those pictures but if it gives back to the animals then why not. Although would it attract animals that you dont want around?

    Thanks for stopping by my I want to have a martini with Oprah campaign on Facebook. Please dont hesitate to email me about comment love in the future.

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