One of the best tools I have for analyzing seasoning blends – besides the old tastebuds -- is a video microscope. I’ve saved a directory of potential ingredients to a flash disk which I can resort to when zooming in tight on a small sample of seasoning. Using this microscope makes it easy to determine, for example, if the little white specks in the mix are onion or garlic (one is translucent, one isn’t), and whether or not there are ground herbs in there (bits of leaves and stems). With this microscope I was able to clearly see that the salt used in an acquired sample of Mastro’s secret steak seasoning was fine salt like the stuff used on popcorn, and that there was some flour in there, probably to help the seasoning stick to the meat. Identifying those ingredients plus a few more made it very easy to assemble a clone of the blend that you can now use on your favorite cuts at home.