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Beef

Question: Baby Back Pork Ribs.. Is it better to remove the membrane from the back of the ribs before seasoning and cooking? I have been told it is. If so, is there a suggested way to make removing the membrane easy?? Answer: Edward, it is best to remove the membrane from the backside of the ribs, before cooking and seasoning. Grab the silvery skin with a paper towel and pull it off. Don't use a knife or metal object it will tear into the meat. Most babyback ribs don't have the membrane on them, but most spareribs do. I hope this helps. Paul

Question: I have been doing some small time catering. My issue involves consistency with briskets. If I do 10 briskets, 2 or 3 of them will be just right. 2 or 3 will be ok, but still a little chewy. at least 2 or maybe 3 sometimes will be like cutting through rubber. I always chseck the internal temp and will wait for all of them to be at least 195. Is this an issue with the meat(usually use costco or sams) or is this an issue with the smoker?(usualy wrap at 160 internal) I have also tried rotating the briskets as they cook. My smoker is an old homeade pit and I am wondering if it needs modification for more even cooking. Answer: Chris, I hope my comments on the phone were helpful. Just to reiterate some of my comments. On a rare occasion a brisket just will not get tender. Internal temp should reach 195-200 degrees. To re-establish some of the moisture put cooked briskets in a cambro or ice-chest for 30-45 minutes. I am a proponent of cooking hot and fast 275-300 degrees cooking temperature. I can cook a brisket flat in 6 hours and a 12-14 pound packer trim in 8-9 hours. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have other question. Paul

Question: I have a 2 pound bottom round rump roast. I'm going to use a small gas grill smoker set to cook this any sugestions? Answer: Greg, I would cook this like I would a sirloin roast, medium rare. Place the roast in a plastic container, pour 3-4 oz of Head Country Premium Marinade over beef. Allow to soak in it for 1 hour, turning several times. Start your charbroil, set to about 250. Season roast somewhat liberally with my Head Country All Purpose Championship Seasoning. You can a a little course black pepper for color and a nice kick. If there is a fat side on the meat place it fat side up. If there is a place on the grill that is not directly over the flames, put the meat there. Cook until internal temperature is 150, medium rare, slice thin across the grain. This will not be an overly tender cut of meat. If you try to cook it like a roast in the oven it will get very dry and tough. By cooking to 150 degrees, it will be juicy and have a great beef flavor. During the cooking time pour the excess marinade left from the soaking process over the top several times. I hope this helps, Paul

Question: Which is the best charcoal to use? I have heard that there is a new charcoal out that is a hard wood. Only heard part of the conversation. Answer: Robert, thanks for the question. The new charcoal talked about maybe the new briquettes by Kingsford. Not sure. I like a lump hardwood charcoal. It burns cleaner and hotter. The are many brands out there. I am not sure who would make it in Wisconsin. A company out of Arkansas makes the lump hardwood charcoal available in OK. I hope this helps. Paul

Question: I need to know how to cook beef country style ribs. Answer: Carrie, There are beef and pork ribs. Country Style are usually pork ribs. Here is what I would do for either. Set cooking temperature at 275 degrees. Season somewhat liberally with Head Country All-Purpose Championship Seasoning Pork: Cook for 1.5 hour, open all the time. The last 10 minutes baste with BBQ sauce and glaze it on. Beef: Cook for 2 hours open then wrap in double layer of aluminum foil and cook for 2 to 2.5 hours longer. Remove from foil and baste with bbq sauce and glaze over fire. I hope this helps. Paul

Question: i have to cater a wedding. they want carved beef at the table. as i always use your spice.i'm not sure what cut of beef i should use with it. and have you ever used it in this way? Answer: Jerry, If you want to make a real hit and they customer is willing. Buy a whole Prime Rib. Take my marinade and marinade the prime rib for 45 minutes. A 10 oz bottle will do a 13-15 pound rib roast. After 45 minutes season with my seasoning and dust lightly with course black pepper. Cook on smoker at 275 degrees for 3 hours. Remove from smoker and slice thinly for guests. You will have about 140 degree rare meat in the center of the prime rib and a little more done on the ends. You can heat another bottle of my marinade in an aluminum pan and dip the slices in the marinade. I am not sure who will be more popular the bride of you. Good luck. Paul

Question: I have a great recipie for brisket where you bake it for 1hr at 300 then 250 for 7-8 hrs putting barbeque sause on last hour. Can I do the same in a electric roaster. Will this time be okay for 6 pounds of meat?? Do I need to wrap in foil ??? thank you sooo much Answer: Jane, thanks for the question. What I would do is cook the brisket open for a 2 hours to give it a little of a crusty cooked look. You can do this on a wire rack in the roaster. If you don't have a wire rack spray the roaster with olive oil first. Season with my Championship seasoning. Also, pour a little of my marinade 1/4 cup over tht top of the lean side and refrigerate in a plasic container overnight. Cook at 275 for 2 hours. After 2 hour lay the brisket in a double layer of foil fat side down. Pour the drippings from the roaster on top of the brisket. Pour 1/4 cup more marinade in the foil and seal tightly. Boost temperature to 300 and cook for 4 hours or until the internal temperature of the brisket is 195 degrees. Your cooking time will be determined by the size of the brisket. A brisket 7-9 pounds will take about 6 hours. A 12-14 pounder may take up to 8 hours. You can put BBQ Sauce on the brisket while cooking or just use it as a dipping sauce on the table. Whatver you do with the BBQ sauce make sure it is Head Country. Good luck! Paul

Question: Is All purpose Championship seasoning gluten free? Answer: Carleen, yes the Championship Seasoning is Gluten Free. In fact all Head Country products are certified gluten free, by the Celiac Spruce Association. You can now find the seasoning without MSG. Right now it is only available online. Thanks, Paul

Question: I liked your site. Answer: Rob, I am glad you like the site. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Congrats to the Crimson Tide on the College Football Championship. Paul

Question: Dear Paul, Thank you for all your recipes on all the variety of items you have posted on here. I have a hopefully easy couple questions for you. When smoking packer trim brisket do you slice off all the fat or just some off the top layer? If you trim the fat rather than completely remove, how thick of layer is optimal to leave? I've done alot of smoking using your methods with great results. This is something I've wanted to know due to more fat the more heat and marinade to use but it also keeps it moister when cooking. Thanks again! Answer: Brandon, I am glad our website has been successful in helping you become a better backyard chef. That is one of our goals. As far as trimming the brisket I have two suggestions. Keep in mind there is a layer of meat between two layers of fat that has a very good beef flavor and should not be discarded as waste. There are two ways to cook a packer trim: 1) Just trim the heavier layers of fat off the brisket and cook as one piece. This will take 8-10 hours depending on the size of the brisket. 2) Seperate the two pieces of meat. I call the smaller piece the deckle piece. It will have a lot of fat on the top side of it. It will be seperated from the bigger piece by a very thin layer of fat. I leave the thin layer of fat on the brisket. I take the deckle piece and trim all the surface fat off. There will be marbled fat in this deckle piece. Leave this fat in the meat. When seasoning (do not) season the smaller deckle piece as heavy. Due to the fat marbled in, it will be too salty if seasoned too much. By seperating the two pieces apart the cooking time will be reduced also. The deckle will cook in about 5 hours. The bigger piece will cook in 6 hours. This is using a cooking temp of 275-300 degrees. You will notice a big difference between the two pieces of meat. I use foil when cooking brisket. This helps in reducing cooking time and keeps the brisket moist. I hope this helps. Let me know if there is anyhting else I can do for you. Paul

Question: Hi Paul. I am an Okie lost in California :-). They have a beef cut here called tri-tip. Never heard of it in Okla/Texas. It is kinda like a cross between a brisket and a prime rib. Have you ever done one of these, and do you have any suggestions on these? BTW I bought six jars of HC Sauce there in Ponca and brought them back on the plane! Thanks!!! Answer: Pete, I appreciate your loyalty to the bbq sauce. Tri-tip is popular on the west coast. I have not cooked them but am familiar with the cut of meat. It is smaller then a brisket and not going to take as long to cook, mainly because it is not as tough of a piece of meat as a full blown brisket. I would season it like you do a brisket, preferably overnight. I would cook it for 2.5 hours open to get some smoke flavor to it, 275 degress. Then wrap in foil and cook for 2-2.5 hours longer. At the 4.5 hour mark check the internal temp. If it is at least 195 remove, let rest for 20 minutes before slicing. If the internal temp is not at 195 cook for and additional 30 minutes. I hope this helps. Paul

Question: Hello, We have a 6.5 lb prime rib that we would like to smoke on our electric smoker/grill. All of the recipes say to smoke for about 3 hours and them cook on medium heat until the desired temperature is achieved. The only problem is, we need to know how early to start cooking so we can be finished by dinner time. Any ideas how long it will take to cook after the 3 hr smoking window? Thank you, Jamie Answer: Jamie, You have my mouth watering for a good prime rib now. I am a fan of rare meat. Prime rib is an excellent cut for rare-medium rare cooking. Some folks don't like their beef mooing at them when they eat it. One trick is to make a pan of au jus and dip the rare meat in the juice, before serving. It will have a darker color but still maintain the robust flavor of rare meat. When I cook a 6.5 pound prime rib, here is what I do: At 275 degrees cooking temperature it will take 2.5-3 hours to cook the prime rib to 135-140 degrees internal temperature. I always take a temperature reading in the center of the prime rib. By doing this the ends will be a little more done and accommodate the folks that what their beef cooked a little more. Determine your serving time, 3 hours before cooking, trim fat cap off the prime rib, place prime rib in deep plastic pan, pour 3/4 of a 10oz bottle of Head Country Premium Marinade over all sides and massage in. Then season liberally with Head Country All-Purpose Championship Seasoning. About every hour turn prime rib over and spoon marinade from pan over the top again. For example if you are going to serve at 6:00pm, start the seasoning/marinade process at noon and begin cooking at 3:00pm. It will be important to maintain the cooking temperature at an even rate. I do not turn the prime rib, I place bone side down. For a nice added flavor sprinkle course black pepper over the top side of the prime rib right before place on smoker. This will not only look good but add another layer of flavor. Don't forget to have plenty of Head Country BBQ sauce available for dipping. I hope this helps. Let me know the outcome. Paul

Question: I am wanting to cook a cow's head in the oven. To make barbacoa. How long and at what temperature. Do I take the eyes and the tongue out or leave it all. Then when done just pull meat off the bone and cut up? Answer: Leslie, Sorry for the delayed response. I have been out of the office for a while. I have never cooked a cows head. I have cooked hogs heads brfore. Yes remove the eyes and any other foreign material. Depending on how big the head is will determine the amount of time to cook. If you put the head on the smoker, I would get some smoke on the meat but then wrap it tightly in floil to get it tender. I would cook at 275-300 degrees for 5-6 hours. Again this would be a new thing for me. These are afew suggestions. I hope I helped. Paul

Question: I am getting ready to smoke a brisket for the first time, and have done plenty of research on techniques, cooking times, cuts of brisket etc. The brisket I have is the "packer cut" which includes the flat and the point. The majority of people (random websites) say to seperate the point from from the flat when the flat is done smoking, and return the point back to the smoker in BBQ sauce to produce "burnt ends". What would be best case scenerio? Should one leave it all entact the entire time and slice it all the same as one cut of meat? or Should one follow the "Burnt ends road and cook longer in sauce? Great Dry Rub seasoning by the way!!!! Answer: Mike, thanks for the question. I am glad you enjoy the rub. On brisket try our marinade also. The two together create a great flavor on beef. Here are a few tips: > choose choice versus select > season liberally with our Head Country Championship Seasoning and then dizzle the marinade over the top of the seasoning and massage into brisket. > preheat smoker to 275 degrees, place brisket fat side up and cook for 3 hours, then wrap fat side down in foil (pour 1/4 cup marinade in foil) and cook for 3-3.5 more hours. > pull brisket when intenal temp reaches 200-203 degrees. Let rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing. > have your favorite selction of Head Country BBQ Sauce ready to enhance the fabluous brisket you just cooked. I like to cook a packer trim both ways: At home I cook the entire brisket whole. I will season heavily, drizzle the marinade on the seasoning and massage into meat. I place brisket off to the side and let warm to room temperature for 45 minutes. This allows the meat to absorb the spices. At competition I part the point/deckle away from the flat. I will trim all the fat off the point. I do not season the point very much at all. It will be too salty if too much seasoning is applied. I cook at 275 degrees. I also have two shelves in my smoker. I place the point on the top shelf which is cooking about 75 degrees hotter then the bottom shelf. I don't cook it longer then the flat. I can cook the brisket in 6 hours. Internal temp should be 200-203 when pulled. After removing from the smoker, allow the brisket to rest for 20-30 mintues before slicing. I try to let the strong beef flavor with our seasoning and marinade to stand alone. If some one wants to put bbq sauce on it they can so I put it on the side. I do agree with you though that the point mixed with our bbq sauce is fabulous. I don't like to cook it in the sauce but rather cook until finished, cube it and then mix sauce with it. Good luck, Let me know how it turns out. Paul

Question: I do no smoking (except a little salmon and sausage) on my Weber using indirect heat. So, my question might be a little off the mark. Can you do a good BBQ style brisket in the oven? I know it's not the same, but I don't have the gear to smoke one... Thanks!! Barry Answer: Barry, check our recipe section for an oven style brisket, (beef category). You can use a little liquid smoke to give the meat the smoked taste. Be careful with liquid smoke. Use it sparingly so the meat doesn't get a bitter taste. Thanks for the question. Paul

Question: CAN I DO A BONE IN RIB EYE (9 8LBS)ROAST IN MY ELECTRIC SMOKER Answer: Jim, you should be able to do the rib roast in the electric smoker. The bone in style offer a very good tasting rib roast. I would preheat to 275 degrees. Pour our Premium Marinade over the rib roast and massage in. Then season the rib roast liberally with Head Country All-Purpose Championship Seasoning and a little course black pepper. Do this about 45 minutes before cooking. Place bone side down in shallow aluminum pan in the oven and cook for 2 -2.5 hours. Every 30 minutes baste with more of our marinade. At the 2 hour mark check with internal meat thermometer. Once the center reaches 140 remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes before slicing. The center of the roast will be medium rare (YUM) while the outter edges will be more done. Dip slices in the juices in the bottom of the pan. I hope this helps. Paul

Question: i noticed you cook your brisket hot 275 then 300 in foil, i do mine at about 225 to 250 until 175 internal then baste with apple juice and foil to 195 then let cool in foil. I use your dry rub and BBQ sauce. we have a small cafe in a local cow sale barn, and get great reviews. Answer: John, As long as you are getting rave reviews don't change anything. Sounds like what you are doing works. I tell people when it works for you and your guests why change. Thanks for using our products. Respectfully, Paul

Question: I am pretty new to smoking. I have smoked brisket 3 times and ribs once. My last brisket was very good.....my previous 2 were pretty bad....mostly due to my impatience. I smoked some ribs for the first time a few months ago when my Dad was in town. I cooked them for 4 hours at 250, and basted them every hour VERY GOOD!! My question is how to get a good bark on a brisket. I usually smoke a 7-8 lb brisket at 205-240 for 8 hours or so, and some of my buddies said to just crank up the heat for the last hour. I tried that last time and it really didnt work to well. Any suggestions?? Thanks, Josh Answer: Josh, Thanks for the quesiton. I enjoy cooking brisket. When done right it is an enjoyable piece of meat. I have addressed some of the steps in the previous email. One thing I have always liked to do is cook hot and fast. Your finished internal temp should be 200-203 degrees. It is difficult to get it to that temperature cooking at only 205-240. Try cooking at 275 degrees and higher, if you can without burning the meat. You can use foil to help prevent the burning. By cooking like this you will get good bark on it too, Total cooking time should be 6-6.5 hours. I hope this helps. Let me know how it turns out. Paul

Question: I have not cooked a large brisket. I have bought 6 to 7 lbs briskets that are trimmed pretty lean and don't have the big bulge like a 12-20 lbs piece of meat. It is also not vety thick maybe 2-3 inches. Should I vary the time or temp since its not as large or is the internal temp the key? Thanks JH Answer: Jack, good question. It appears that you have purchased is a brisket flat. The fatty "nose" portion of the brisket has been trimmed off. This is not a bad thing. The bigger briskets shrink 50% when you cook them due to the fat content. I would not vary the cooking time or temp. I am a proponent of using an internal thermometer. Cook the brisket at 275 degrees. When the brisket reaches 150-160 degrees internal wrap it in double layer of foil. Boost temp to 300 degrees and cook for another 3-3.5 hours. Monitor temp after 2.5 hours. Once the internal temp reaches 200-203, pull the brisket and let rest (cool) for 20-30 minutes Enjoy, I hope this helps. Paul

Question: Just bought the smoker and I want to try briskit. what is the proper cooking time and tecnique. I tryed ribs last week and I used head and county rub cooked it for 4 hours at 200 finished them on the grill for about one minute just to let the head and country original bbq sauce darken,my guests loved the ribs, but I think I was being a little over critical and I think they were tuff. any tips to help me. Answer: David, Glad you like the products. Here are a few tips. First of all on the ribs. I agree with you the the ribs may have still been a little chew. Boost the temperature to 275 degrees. Cook them for 3.5 hours, then wrap in a double layer or foil for 45 minutes.After this amount of time open foil and look at the bone side of the ribs. You should start to see the bones pull through the backside of the slab. If not cook for 15 more minutes. I then coat each side with your favorite selection of Head Country BBQ sauce and glaze the sauce on the ribs for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from cooker and let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. On the brisket you will have to cook at 275 degrees to get the meat to breakdown and get tender. I season rather heavily with Head Country All Purpose Championship Seasoning. I place fat side up on the smoker and cook for 3-3.5 hours. At this time the internal temperature should be at 150-155 degrees. I then take a double layer of foil place the brisket in the foil fat side down and pour a 1/4 cup of Head Country Premium Marinade in the foil. Seal the foil tightly and put back on the smoker. If possible boost the temp of the cooker to 300 and cook for an additional 3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 195-200 degrees. Once it reaches this point remove from cooker, open foil slightly to allow the brisket to begin to cool. After 20 minutes of rest slice across the grain. Remember try not to open the cooker/smoker very often. The more you open it the more heat you lose. I hope this helps on your rib and brisket quesions. Good Luck, Paul

Question: Just wondering what kind of smokers you guys use for your catering. Also what is the marinade good on besides beef? Love your BBQ Sauce especially the Hot. Wide loves the Original. Many Thanks. Frank Answer: Frank, I sent you a response from myphone and not sure you received it so I am trying again. We have used Southern Pride routissourie smokers for over 12 years. Cookshack here in Ponca City makes a good one also. Call Stuart at 580-765-3669. He will help you out. I use the marinade on all cuts of meat, searing meats and in vegetable dishes. I hope this helps. I am glad you guys like the bbq sauce also. Paul

Question: I have always marinaded with beer and worcheshire sauce. Sometimes with dark beer like Guiness other times with my choice Coors light. Is there anything wrong with this? I have cooked with and without and I prefer the with. Also, would there be anything wrong with mixing in some of your marinade with my mixture? Answer: Michael, Marinading the brisket in beer is not a bad thing. This is probably because the cook is getting marinaded also. Just don't double dip, you know take a drink and pour out of the same bottle. I believe mixing some of our marinade in with your choice of beer would be great. I say this because our marinade is the only moisture I add to the brisket when I wrap it in foil, after three hours of cooking. Let me know how it turns out. Thanks for the question. Paul

Question: Paul, I've seen where you've suggested brisket cooking time as roughly 3 hours at 275, then foil and run 300 for 2.5 to 3 hours. Is that for a flat, or for a packer? The window narrows when cooking at hotter temps, and I'm trying to hit it a little closer. Thanks - Keri C Answer: Keri, Congrats on your competition wins. Are you still on cloud 9? This cooking method is for flats. I do cook packers at times and only have to add an 1 - 1.5 hours to the cooking time. I have always liked cooking hotter and faster. It seems to work well for me. Good luck and let me know if I can help. Paul

Question: I was wondering where in Lawton, OK can we purchase the Head Country Seasoning. Our family from Tulsa has got us hooked on it and I can not find it. Thank You! Answer: Amanda, I am glad you like the seasoning. You should be able to find it at Wal-Mart, United, Homeland, etc. If not ask the store manager to bring it in. He should be able to. Thanks and let me know if you have difficulty. Paul

Question: Are your spices available in the Dallas area? Answer: Jim, At this time try Wal-Mart. If the Wal-Mart does not have it then we can send it to you via UPS. Thanks for the question. Paul

Question:  We enjoy you BBQ sauce and we serve it to a lot of soldiers and their families. They love it. Most of them,when they leave Ft. Sill for a new assignments, take gallons of Head Country with them. I buy your mild BBQ sauce by the gallon, but I can not find the hot in the gallon. The hot I can only find in the 18oz bottles, does anyone in Lawton sell the hot by the gallon? Answer: Rick, The only opportunity for a quick solution is to have the Sam's Club bring it in. Talk to the club manager there and he can bring it in. Otherwise we can ship it to you by the single gallon or case. I appreciate your support. We send cases of product to our service men and women oversees on a regular basis. Thanks for your service to our country. Paul

Question: I am honing my skills on briskets and have had a few very successful ones but yesterday had an issue where I could not get the meat to 200 degrees regardless of the smoker temp or time(went up 1 degree in 2 hours at 325 in the last hour of cooking). It stalled at 195. It was fairly dry when I cut it but the next day it was not too bad. My usual program is using a flat cut, fat pad up, 2 hours at 210, then in foil at around 300 until internal temp hits 200-205. BTW, I am a transplanted Okie in Los Angeles, your bbq sauce always is a hit out here and everytime I come home I return with several gallons in my luggage. Answer: Thad, thanks for the note and question. I am glad you and your friends in California enjoy Head Country. Thanks for sharing a taste from Oklahoma. I have run into this issue with a brisket one time. It was a select brisket. I could not get it to get hotter and breakdown. I cannot say much other then it was the meat itself, just tough. I usually cook at 275 degrees for 3 hours then wrap and cook for 2.5-3 hours at 300 degrees. All in all I think you just ran inot a brisket that was not going to breakdown or stay moist. I am glad it tasted as good as it did, you were fortuate it wasn't tough. Thanks Again, Paul

Question: where can I purchase your sauce in Jackson, Ms. Answer: Joe, unfortunately, the only way to get it to you in Mississippi is via the mail. We are not in any retail stores in your area at this time. Thanks for asking. I have been visitng with Bob Pavy with Viking Range lately. Thanks, Paul

Question: can a rib-eye roast be cooked over a oak wood fired pit Answer: Derris, Thanks for the question. I believe you can cook an excellent rib-eye roast over an oak fire. As I suggest for any type wood, make sure the wood is seasoned (Dry) for at least six months. The smoke from the wood will cover the meat with the smoke taste. The more moisture in the wood the more creosote on the meat. If you have ever tasted meat that has a bitter taste, it is more than likely the creosote covering the meat. Make sure your fire is burned down to coals and then add only enough wood to maintain the heat you need to cook with. For a 15-16lb rib roast. I would start cooking at 275. While the fire is getting hot I would rub the rib-eye with our Head Country Premium Marinade, then season lightly with our Championship Seasoning. Then sprinkle the top of the roast lightly with course black pepper. You can begin the marinading process several hours before hand also. Place roast with the lip up as close to the fire as possible without burning it. Let it cook for 2.5 hours. By this time the internal temp should be about 120 degrees. It won't take long to finish it off once it reaches 120 degrees. Back the roast away from the fire a little (12 inches). Boost the temperature to 300 degrees and cook until 140 internal temp on the ends of the roast. Boosting the temp will give a nice crust on the outside of the roast. Cooking to 140 degrees on the ends will give you a medium rare 135 in the center. It will take and additional 30-45 minutes to finish cooking the roast. This will be a fine piece of meat. Good luck, Paul

Question: do you have any christmas packages to be sent out? Answer: Willis, We have several items to chose from for Christmas. Take a look under Specialty Items in Shop The Cook Box. We can put those items in a clear Christmas also. Thanks Paul.

Question: Anyplace in Florida to get it? Answer: Robert, at this time the only way to get our products to you is via the mail. We use UPS on a daily basis. Thanks for asking, Paul

Question: IS THERE A PLACE IN LA, CA. WHERE I CAN BUY HEAD COUNTRY SEASONING. Answer: David, Unforunately, at this time the only way for you to get seasoning in Califonia is via UPS or USPS. Thanks for asking, Paul

Question: is there a place in tulsa ok. to buy head country seasoning ? Answer: Veronica, Thanks for asking the question. You can find Head Country Seasoning at all the local grocery stores. You can also find it at Perry's Meat Market. Thanks, Paul

Question: I would like a basic recipe for meat Marinade. Thank you Answer: Viola, Are you asking for a recipe to make a marinade or how to marinade meat? I will answer both. Head Country makes a wonderful marinade for meats. It is a combination of 21 ingredients that are all natural. It is great on beef, pork, and fish. We have it available in 10oz bottles. As far as marinading meat I usually don't marinade too long. If the meat sets in the marinade too long the muscle gets mushy. I marinade beef steaks 45 min., pork chops 20 minutes, and pour some marinade in the foil pan while grilling or broiling fish. When grilling outside I use the left over marinade as basting sauce while grilling. Hope this helps. Thanks Paul Schatte

Question: I have a bottle of Head Country Marinade I want to use on Sirloin Steak. How long should I marinade and should I put the meat in the refrig. while marinading? Thank you for your assistance. Answer: Patrica, Sorry for being tardy in responding to your question. I have been in Africa for the past 10 days. Our marinade is very good on sirloin. I suggest soaking the steak for only about 45 minutes then season lightly with our Head Country All-Purpose Seasoning. Prepare the grill. Place the sirloin on the grill and cook to desired level. Medium rare on sirloin will provide the most juicy taste. While grilling and turning steak use the leftover marinade by spooning or brushing over the sirloin. I can smell the wonderful beef aroma coming off the grill as I respond to your email. I will have to pick one up at the store on the way home tonight. You have a great meat market there in Tulsa, Perry's Food Store, tell Phil and Bud I said hi when you go by. Thanks for the question.

Question: How long does a 6 lb beef brisket need to smoke until completely tender? Answer: Dani, Sorry for the delayed response. I was on a safari in Africa the past 10 days. The temperature you are cooking at will be the determining factor. I like to begin cooking at 275 degrees for 3 hours. I place fat side up. After internal temp reaches 155-160 degrees, wrap in double layer foil fat side down. Cook at 275-300 degrees for an additional 3-3.5 hours or until internal temp reaches 200 degrees. Remove from cooking device and let rest for 30 minutes before slicing. Hope this helps. All in all 6-6.5 hours should do it. Thanks Paul

Question: This is a question about beef brisket: an expert in Texas says after barbequing his brisket he wraps it in aluminum foil and puts it in a dry ice chest for up to eight hours. Does he mean a chest with dry ice in it, or an ice chest with no ice in it? Please advise, as I've currently got a beef brisket I just barbecued in an ice chest, wrapped in tin foil, with no ice in it. Answer: Roger, I am sure what the gentleman from Texas meant was a dry ice chest, not an ice chest with dry ice. I like to do this with brisket, pork butt and ribs. By doing this the meat can reabsorb some of the natural juices. It also allows the meat to firm back up before slicing. You need to be aware that the meat may continue to cook in the foil. So if your end result temp is say 190 degrees then pull at 185 degrees. It also depends on how tightly sealed the holding unit is and how much meat you put in the ice chest or cambro. One brisket will create some extended heat but 2,3 or more will add a lot of heat for a longer period of time. You asked about putting meat in the refrigerator. I would not put hot meat in a refrigerator. You will put a lot of steam inside the refrigerator which is not good for the unit itself and the other items inside. You had asked n a second email that you lost your smoke ring or crustiness on the outside of the brisket. I have not experienced loosing a smoke ring once it is there. The climate of the day has a lot to do with a natural smoke ring. A ring can be fabricated using a little tenderizer. You will loose the harder outside covering because the foil and holding unit will soften the outside texture. So if you want that crusty outter edge cook it to desired internal temp 195-200 degrees on the smoker and don't ice chest it. Pull from smoker and open the foil to let the heat disapate. Hope this long winded answer helps. Thanks, Paul

Question: Why is there no answeres showing up for the good questions asked? Answer: James, After visiting with the web host I believe I have addressed this issue. You and others wll be seeing answers to questions on the website in the future. I have answered the questions before but it only went directly to the person that asked. Thanks for asking. Paul Schatte

Question: Where to purchase Head country all purpose Championship Seasoning in my area. Answer: Una, thanks for asking. You should be able to find both our bbq sauce and seasonings in the local H.E.B. stores at this time. Let me know if it not in the particular store you shop at. Thanks, Paul

Question: I bought some of your fine bbq sauce at the local grocer H.E.B. and am interested in purchasing your championship seasoning locally. Can you tell me if your have a reseller of your seasoining in my local San Antonio area. Thx Roland Answer: Roland, glad you like the products we make. You should be able to find the Head Country All-Purpose Championshp Seasoning in all the H.E.B. stores now. Thanks for asking, Paul

Question: Dear Paul, Our family really likes Head Country BBQ sauce. We are going to entertain some guests soon and would like to feature some of your products. I was thinking about cooking a prime rib roast. Can you give some suggestions? Thanks in advance. Answer: Hey John, What an outstanding cut of meat to serve to your guests! I will share two recipes that will surely have your guests hiring you to cook for THEIR big events! First, let's go over a few tips for a great prime rib roast:     Find a good butcher or meat market and make him/it your friend! Their knowledge and advice will help you immensely.     Order the best possible grade of meat. USDA "Prime" grade (not to be confused with the name "prime rib roast") is stratospherically priced but worth the investment since less than 5% of beef qualifies for this best-of-the-best status. You decide if the guests and event are worth it. The USDA's "Choice" grade is a reliable indication of excellence too.     Ask for a prime rib with the bone still intact. If not available, boneless will be fine.     Leave the bone on during the cooking stage. The bone will add a great deal of flavor.     Make sure the roast's pre-cooked weight is clearly marked. You will need this information to determine total cooking time (figure 11 - 13 minutes per pound). You do NOT want to overcook this fantastic cut of meat.     Choose your charcoal and hardwood for the fire carefully. I rely on seasoned pecan wood. You may have trouble finding pecan wood in Iowa. You may have to use oak. What ever your choice of wood, make sure it is seasoned or dry. Wood that is not cured will coat the meat with a strong smoke(creosote) flavor.     Likewise, the quality of your charcoal will influence the meat's flavor. We recommend using the best quality hardwood charcoal you can find. We advise against using briquettes that are pre-soaked in lighter fluid. Since the prime rib is a large cut of meat that relies on the "low and slow" cooking method, you will need to add more fuel to the fire to maintain the proper cooking temperature. Adding briquettes infused with a petroleum product will give you an inedible disaster. Prepare the meat: Vigorously shake a bottle of our Head Country Premium Marinade. This ensures the solids (those herbs and spices that make our marinade so great) are well-suspended. Pour 1/3 cup Marinade over the top of the roast and rub into the meat. Next sprinkle 1/3 cup Head Country All-Purpose Championship Seasoning on the rib roast and again rub into the meat. Place in pan and then cover and refrigerate for three hours or overnight. To cook the meat: When you are ready to build a fire, remove the roast from refrigeration and allow to stand at room temperature until your fire is ready (about 30 - 45 minutes.) Build a hardwood fire to one side of your smoker or grill. Once the cooking chamber reaches a temperature of 275°-300°F, place the seasoned roast on the grill away from direct heat. As it cooks, move roast around on grill to sear all sides for an appealing flavor. After the initial cooking stage -- determined by the size of the roast -- check for doneness. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of the roast (without touching bone). Once the center reading reaches 115°F (for rare), remove the roast and loosely cover with foil. Let rest in a warm, draft-free place for 15 minutes. As it rests, the roast will continue to cook -- even gaining an additional 20° in temperature as well as absorb some of its natural meat juices. If you prefer more "doneness", leave the meat on the fire until the thermometer reaches 135° - 140°F and let it rest for a longer period of time. To serve: Remove meat from foil and place on cutting board. Reserve any juices remaining in foil by pouring into a glass container and setting aside for fat to separate. Carefully cut meat away from the bone. Set bones aside to quiet those "snackers" standing at your elbow hoping for a handout. Turn meat back over and slice into desired thickness -- usually 1/2-inch for entree' servings or paper-thin for sandwiches. Defat the reserved juices and stir in an equal amount of your favorite Head Country Bar-B-Q Sauce. Warm briefly and pass with meat. This sauce is also great for basting individual slices of prime rib for those who like their serving "finished" with a brief searing in a hot skillet. The second recipe is for sauteed' mushrooms. Start this recipe about 1½ hours before the prime rib is done.    2 lbs of fresh mushrooms with stems on (washed and drained)    4 tablespoons or 1/2 stick real butter    1 cup water    1/3 cup Head Country Premium Marinade, well-shaken before measuring Place all ingredients in sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer, with lid set slightly ajar, for 1½ hours. If liquid gets low add water or wine. Serve with prime rib. Let me know how this turns out. Paul Schatte, General Manager