If you haven’t noticed yet, I’m a huge fan of Dizzy Pig. If you looked in my spice cabinet, you would find a whole shelf almost completely devoted to them. The all purpose Dizzy Dust (both fine and coarse), Swamp Venom, Cow Lick, Red Eye Express and the list goes on. In fact, the only ones I have not tried are Shakin’ the Tree and Pineapple Head, which I have heard great things about.
So when I went to check my mail Saturday, it was a pleasant surprise to find a sample packet of their newest offering Mediterraneanish, a blend that captures the essence of Italy and Greece. Unfortunately, Mrs. G had just returned home from the store with fixings to make chili. 😦 I love chili, but I really wanted to try this new rub. Alas, it was not to be.
Fast forward to last night. We had a pork tenderloin that we had to use and use quick before it went bad. I had been planning on saving the Mediterraneanish to try first on something like lamb or fish, but why not a pork tenderloin? Dizzy Pig said in their note that they tried it on pork. Good enough for me.
The pork tenderloin got a quick brine for two hours (recipe at end of post) before being rinsed, dried and rubbed with DP’s newest spice. Then, it went on the Mini Big Green Egg because it seems to light faster, uses less charcoal and really just because I feel like it’s been neglected recently. The Egg was set up at 400F. I thought about using some wood chips for smoke, but in the end, decided that I didn’t want anything competing with the flavors of the new rub. I wanted to taste it by itself to get a feel for it.
I didn’t really pay attention to how long the tenderloin took to cook. Honestly, I wasn’t planning on doing a blog about it, but let me tell you…the aroma wafting out the top of the Egg and tantalizing our taste buds was making my mouth water. This stuff smelled amazing and it was all I could do to keep from licking the tongs after turning the tenderloin. That would not have been very sanitary, now would it? The tenderloin cooked somewhere between 15-20 minutes, but remember, time is not important, temperature is! I will continue to stress that. And if you haven’t heard, the USDA did lower the safe temperature of pork to 145F…way back in May of 2011!! So we pulled the pork from the grill at about 138-140ish and let it rest for 10 minutes knowing that the internal temperature would continue to cruise on up to 145F.
I’ve got to hand it to Dizzy Pig, they’ve done it again. Another winner for sure. I don’t know what all is in this rub, but it was fantastic. Very herbaceous, definitely tones of rosemary and oregano. Just the right amount of salt for my tastes. Perfectly balanced and it does make you think of the Mediterranean. I think this could be added to any Greek or Italian dish and really give it a boost of flavor. I’ve not attempted lamb yet on the blog, but upon taking the first bite or two, I know I am going to have to try this on lamb for sure.
The day I discovered Dizzy Pig’s Swamp Venom was the day I quit buying Tony Chachere’s or any other Cajun/Creole seasoning. I won’t go so far as to say that I will stop buying Italian Seasoning as Mrs. G uses it in quite a few recipes, but I will add some of this spice to see how it works for sure. And that Cavender’s Greek Seasoning? Yeah…won’t be buying that anymore. Mediterraneanish for me from now on. That’s how good this stuff is. I can’t wait to try it on something else. I’m not sure on when their planned release date is to the public, but keep your eyes and ears open and I’ll try and let you know if I hear something. I’ll be waiting because I know that this small sample I have won’t last long.
Brine Recipe: Bring two cups of water to a boil along with 1/4 cup kosher salt, 1/8 cup of sugar, 2-3 bay leaves, 8-10 peppercorns and a pinch of cumin and Mediterraneanish. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat and add two cups of cold water and allow to cool before adding to pork. Allow to brine for 2-4 hours in refrigerator. Rinse pork, pat dry and apply Mediterraneanish rub and then grill.
***And just so you know, I am in no way affiliated, paid by or endorsed by Dizzy Pig. I have no ties with the company and no money has switched hands. I, along with many other Eggheads, grillers and barbecuers were offered a free sample and asked our opinions of the product. I do not receive free bottles of rubs from them except for the free small sample bags when they released Mediterraneanish, Fajita-ish and Bombay Curry-ish and this ends my disclaimer.
Griffin' s Grub 
Wow, that looks amazing! I am a huge fan of tenderloin, but have never brined it in anything other than (embarrassing) salad dressing. (It was good salad dressing, though! Annie’s sesame ginger vinaigrette!) I am definitely going to try your marinade.
You should try a brine. Works great on pork and poultry. Makes them extra juicy and prevents the meat from drying out. Technically a brine is not a marinade, however. Two different things all together.
So now I feel really foolish, because I always thought of them interchangeably. Is a brine salt-and-water-based, rather than oil-and-vinegar-based, or is the difference something else?
No reason to feel foolish, its a common mistake. A marinade is used to soften meat fibers by breaking down connective tissues. They are often acidic, wether from citrus or vinegar, but add no moisture to the meat, just flavoring to the outside. Brines are a mixture of salt, sugar and spices and force moisture into the meat due to an unequal level of salt inside and outside as well as boosting flavor and improving texture.
Ah! That totally clears it up for me. (I am getting a weird flashback to high school biology and hypotonic / hypertonic solutions — sodium level on one side vs. the other … but it would have been cooler if they had illustrated it with a brine!) I will definitely try your brine the next time I roast pork. Thanks for taking the time to break it down for me!
Yup, just like what you learned in school. And it would have been even cooler had they allowed you to do a brine, cook it and then eat it, right? Glad I could help and let me know how it turns out for you. Just remember to allow your brine to cool before adding the meat.
I got a Dizzy Pig sample in my Judges bag last weekend. I was hoping it was Pineapple Head or Shakin The Tree since those are also the two I haven’t tried but it was one that I already have. Have you tried their Fajitaish?
Lots of love for dizzy pig. I also pretty much exclusively use dizzy pig stuff now. I did not know this was coming out. I’ll keep my eyes open for it!
They do make a quality product. The Mediterranean-ish is good stuff. Actually just used the last of my sample packet last night on some chicken. Not sure when the release date is (this was a sample packet that was pre-released to certain people), but I’ll let you know when I do.
OOOH MY! I tried youre pork rib recipe with the dizzy dust. I ran short on time with the charcol grill. 2 Hours on the smoker with charcol and hickory & measquite chunks. Out of time, & Moved it to the propane grill for about 45 min. Was done to perfection. I cut my side pork rib slab in half. One half, (the smaller end), got the mustard and dizzy dust. The other no mustard but bbq sause for the last 30 min. The best ribs I have ever had. We liked the ones without sauce more. Thanks for posting recipes. I also used your butt recipe, modified it, and have had great results. I don’t care for apple cider vinager and choose white. Works well. At a recent family cook off I won 1st place with the butt. I beat Carlos Scoggins. He grilled a whole pig. It was good too. Thanks.