Though this article is well overdue, I’ve finally gotten around to writing up the Bag O’Spices that JAY gave to me from the Fancy Food Show.  Trying all the samples out on different types of meat and other consumables has been a delicious blast.  Plus, I’ve chosen a few blends that will find a permanent space in my cabinet.  Without further ado, I submit the following reviews:

Dizzy Pig:  I tried four samples by this brand and three were very good as BBQ rubs.  The regular Dizzy Dust, Jamaican Firewalk, and Tsunami Spin had distinct flavors and aromas before and after cooking.  Dizzy Dust was a great all-around rub with everything you’d expect from a BBQ seasoning, a.k.a., smoky, slightly spicy goodness with a touch of sweetness.  Jamaican Firewalk did have a kick, but I wasn’t put off by it.  I could taste allspice and a touch of cinnamon, which rounded out the rub.  Tsunami Spin definitely incorporated a pungent and tangy set of ingredients in its blend.  Incidentally, I used it to flavor some homemade fried rice and I was impressed by how well the flavors complemented the vegetables.  The Pineapple Head was just too subtle to use as a regular rub.  I tried it out on both chicken and pork, but to no avail.  It tasted as though I had used a brown sugar rub with a little cinnamon and black pepper on the meat.  However, upon consulting the company’s website, it turns out that they recommend Pineapple Head for desserts and grilling fruits.  Lesson learned.

Lisa Shively’s Quick Meal Mixes:  I tried three samples by this brand, all of which were tasty.  Each pouch had simple instructions for coating a couple pounds of meat, or how to prepare the meal.  First up was the Cajun Chicken.  It was pleasant to pour the mix into a large zip-top bag and shake the chicken around — that’s all the preparation necessary.  The flavor held up on the grill, and it was nicely spicy.  I appreciate heat in a blend, but I don’t want my tongue on fire through a meal.  The Jamaican Chicken blend was definitely hotter than the Cajun Chicken mix.  It wasn’t too hot for me, but I think that picky kids wouldn’t like it.  Again, the flavor was good for grilling (we used it on pork chops).  I couldn’t identify the source, but the blend had a bit of an exotic taste.  The last mix I tried was the Best Roast Ever, which had the subtitle of For Crock Pot.  I must confess that I ignored the package instructions and rubbed the seasoning on a bunch of steaks.  Personally, I rather enjoyed the grilled pot roast taste; however, I can certainly understand that anyone trying this method might be disappointed.  Some of the subtlety is definitely lost due to grilling, but I’m thinking pan-frying a steak with the Best Roast Ever mix could be a good balance for those without the luxury of time.

Satisfy Your Soul:  I tried two blends by this brand, and both were good for different reasons.  The simply-named Cajun Seasoning was exactly what you would expect.  It was pushing the envelope on “hot” but didn’t go overboard.  The blend contained the usual paprika, pepper, herbs and salt necessary to any rub.  Therein lies the cleverness; the Cajun Seasoning tasted good on chicken, pork chops, mahi-mahi, steaks, and potatoes.  Would it stand out among other rubs for grilling?  Probably not.  Will it taste good on just about everything?  Definitely.  In contrast, the Egyptian Dukkah was exotic, unusual, and slightly harder to work with.  For a spice blend, the seasoning had fairly large chunks of almonds and garbanzo beans (about the size of split peas).  I found that these pieces fell off during turnovers on the grill, annoyingly disappearing into the depths of the flames.  A much better idea is to dip your chosen meat (I used chicken, of course) into a mixture of one beaten egg and a splash of milk, then roll around said meat in a dish containing the Egyptian Dukkah.  A deliciously crusted piece of chicken really makes the effort worth it.  The sesame seeds, cumin, and coriander really stand out in this blend.  The addition of the almonds and garbanzos makes the seasoning both unusual and memorable, not to mention crunchy.

Chef Salt:  I tried two flavors by this brand and one was very good.  I used the Bacon BBQ rub on a pork chop.  I know, I know — pork seasoned with more pork.  Unfortunately, my piggy wishes were not granted.  The taste of bacon was definitely missing from this seasoning.  It smelled like bacon when I applied the rub, but after grilling the pork chop it dissipated.  Personally, I would have been okay with that, but it didn’t taste like bacon.  Don’t get me wrong, it was a good general-purpose rub.  It just lacked the bacon-taste.  On the other hand, the Tunisian Fire was delicious.  I wasn’t sure what to expect when I opened the tiny plastic baggie.  Instead of burning my tongue to a cinder, the rub contained highlights of lemon, coriander, cardamom, and a comfortable level of heat.  The blend was different, and held up on the grill.  In fact, the smokiness brought out a touch of sweetness from the rub.

Char Crust:  There was only one sample by this brand.  I was intrigued by the idea of creating a crust on my meat without grilling.  I applied the product as instructed and cooked a couple steaks under the broiler.  The crust created was pretty cool, I have to say.  The only issue I had stemmed from the flavor, which was All American Barbecue.  It was tangy, smoky, spicy, and sweet all at the same time.  I think I would have preferred a single taste profile, rather than the flavor competition in the blend.  If I saw this brand in a store, I would be willing to try other flavors.

Todd’s Dirt:  I only tried one sample by this brand.  Though this company makes various blends which I have not tried, I must say that I was impressed by the versatility of this seasoning.  I used Crabby Dirt on chicken, pork, catfish, and tilapia.  It truly was good on all the different meats.  I suspect this is because the ingredient list reads like a spice cupboard.  I’m okay with that, but it should be noted that Crabby Dirt does not make your meat taste amazing.  Much like the Satisfy Your Soul’s Cajun Seasoning, it is a reliable go-to blend that can easily season potatoes or fish or pork chops.  Although I haven’t tried it, I suspect it would be very good as dipping oil seasoning for baguettes.

-TKW

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