Hormel Foods Introduces Sliced Chorizo To Its Lineup
Like other food businesses of late, Hormel has been struggling to stay competitive because of inflationary pressures and supply chain inefficiencies. But by no means is the iconic brand down for the count. In fact, the surprisingly eclectic company that introduced the world to Spam and also acquired the humanely raised, antibiotic, and hormone-free meat manufacturer Applegate Farms in 2015, has been on a bit of a new-product tear this month.
Just days ago, the company's Black Label brand launched a wood-smoked bacon product with a unique March Madness tie-in that's appropriately named Hardcourt Smoked Bacon. The wood used for smoking this new sliced bacon offering is none other than the northern cherry maple wood that can otherwise be found on the floors of the NCAA basketball tournament courts on which the 2023 games are being played. And while we were busy digesting that, Hormel also just announced it's taking its culinary game to the next level by introducing pre-cooked, pre-sliced Spanish-style chorizo.
Hormel promises big flavor, along with sliced meat convenience
Hormel's new sliced chorizo joins an existing chorizo crumbles product that features 100% Mexican-style pork chorizo flavored with paprika, garlic, and turmeric. However, according to the company's press release the new sliced chorizo differs from this because it's pre-sliced resembling pepperoni, and is made using a combination of pork and beef, which is being billed as Spanish-style chorizo. The sliced chorizo's authentic Spanish spices are listed as garlic, peppers, and pimento.
While it's possible that Hormel has done a bit of conflating of Spanish and Mexican chorizo, that may not matter much to those who look forward to its "bold and savory" flavor that Hormel says is tailor-made for amping up the flavor of pizza and paninis, among others. We're already fixing on using it in this authentic Argentinian choripán recipe. Hormel Sliced Chorizo is available nationwide in five-ounce packs for less than $5. If you're in, you'll want to check out our comprehensive guide to cooking with chorizo.