Hormel EZCook- There's an App for That!

Search for a dish either by a code on the label or a drop down list of cuts

Gadgets and cooking are a match made in heaven particularly for the ipod, email, Twitter generation. While I am  a bit before that generation (though only by a bit)  I love to try a new technology especially related to cooking, so I was intrigued when Hormel  contacted me to ask if I would like to try a new product, EZ Cook , that can be used on smartphones to help consumers select and prepare meals featuring Hormel's line of Always Tender meats.  The idea is that by typing a code from an Always Tender meat package into your smartphone at the EZ Cook site, you can find a recipe using that cut. This sounded like a great idea perfect for someone trying to find dinner ideas for their family, and a fun way to play with food, so of course I agreed to give it a try.

This tool provides a grocery list for the dish you have selected that you can use at the store, or even print out for reference!

Since this was a new program, many of the labels on meats still in the store did not yet have the code, but luckily, the site allows you to look up by the cut as well as the code. Besides finding some great recipes tailored to the Always Tender meat line, the site has some great features, like  a complete shopping list for the selected dish that you can use directly on your phone or even print out. I went to the site to look up something I could make and selected a boneless pork loin as the cut I would make. Well I found a recipe that looked great, but this wouldn't be play with food if I just pulled up a recipe and cooked it, so I started with an Always Tender Mesquite barbecue pork tenderloin- I picked something a little spicy since my husband was fighting a cold and he thought something spicy would appeal to him.   I checked out the EZ Cook site and found this amazing recipe and I decided to alter it  a bit- taking inspiration from what I saw.  I kept the bacon-wrapped idea but I decided to kick it up a notch, brushing the roast with Chipotle Barbecue sauce that my friend Michael O' Boyle, the Chicken Fried Gourmet, had sent me to try. To go with the roast, I made some cheesy grits to offer a counterpoint to the spiciness of the meat , and shoepeg corn with mango and peach salsa for a bit of sweetness.  The roast was easy to prepare, cooked perfectly, moist and juicy. and a tenderloin is a perfect cut to cook at the end of a long day, yet worthy of company meal.

All in all it was a very successful meal, and a successful experiment. I can't wait till codes permeate the market and I can give the app a try in its full functionality. Until then check out the site yourself and look at it as a chance for you to play with food! 

I received a $100 stipend and product coupons from Hormel Foods to cover the cost of my groceries for my EZ Cook inspired meal. I am also entered to win a $500 gift card for writing this post.