Beef Tips Tender Indeed

Wed., May 31, 2000

Laura Crooks Food Editor

First impressions can be wrong.

While pulling the thick plastic bag of Hormel Always Tender Beef Tips With Gravy out of the box and reading the instructions, we were reminded of those one-serving boil-a-bag offerings available many years ago.

Just as those boil-a-bag meat and gravy dishes weren’t the most eye-appealing, Hormel’s Always Tender Beef Tips With Gravy didn’t impress our Reader Food Panel on first glance, either.

But the meat, which cooks in the microwave in about seven minutes (or you can drop the bag in boiling water to heat the contents), surprised most of our Food Panel members.

The large chunks of meat are tender and tasty. The gravy, however, left something to be desired. Our tasters agreed it would have been better without the gravy.

Hormel offers other varieties, including several without gravy. Look for them in the grocery stores’ refrigerated or frozen sections.

Hormel Always Tender Beef Tips With Gravy

Price: $4.99 for 17 ounces (3.5 servings per box).

Serving size: cup.

Nutrition: 150 calories, 6 grams fat (36 percent fat calories); 769 milligrams sodium per serving.

Taste: ***

Value: ***

Comments: “Beef is very tender and tastes good. Gravy is very artificial tasting and too filling.” - Larry Inman

“Beef is nice and tender; the gravy is yucky.” - Hilde Schoonover

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.

Beef Tips Tender Indeed

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

Spokane Cocktail Week brings the best of bartending and boozy brands to the public

Clearing the air: Washington growers and scientists team up to protect wine from wildfire smoke

Community Cookbook: Memorial Day kicks off summer barbeque and picnic season