Review: Hormel Thick Cut Bone-in Smoked Pork Chops

My oldest daughter had ballet last night and, since her and my wife wouldn't be home until about 6, I was in charge of making dinner.

We didn't have a whole lot in our house so I decided to stop off at the store for something. And, not wanting yet another meal out of a box from the freezer section, I visited the meat department hoping to find something. I ultimately came out of the store with a pack of Hormel Thick Cut Bone-in Smoked Pork Chops.

There were a couple reasons why I made this purchase. First, I haven't had any sort of pork product in a while and figured it would be something different. But, more important was the convenience these offered. Since the pork chops were already cooked, all I had to do was pop them in the microwave for a couple minutes. And, after being at work all day, I was looking forward to that.

I did not regret this decision.

Since the pork chops didn't take as long as the side dishes I was making too, I made the chops last. And, they were as easy as the package said. I have a lower wattage microwave and it took about 4 minutes instead of 2. But, the chops were still fully cooked and heated in a shorter amount of time than if I would have made them from a raw state.

One thing that impressed me right away about these chops is they didn't get dried out in the microwave; something I was actually expecting to happen (which is why I picked up some gravy to go with them). Instead, they were actually pretty juicy (almost ham-like). They were also very tender. I could cut into them with my fork rather than needing a knife.

Another thing I was expecting from these pork chops was a salty taste. This is because I have bought other pre-cooked meats in the past and that has been the case almost every time. However, that wasn't a problem with this brand. In fact, the chops tasted pretty plain and I had to add my own seasonings to them (something I prefer doing).

The best part was these weren't much more expensive than regular pork chops would have been. I spent a little under $6, which, while somewhat pricier, isn't unreasonable when you factor in the convenience of having something that is pre-cooked.

If you are looking for something that is easy to make for dinner but tastes decent too, I recommend looking for this product in your grocery store meat section.