A blast from the past - Head Country sauce

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Smokin Okie

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I cut my barbecue teeth on Head Country. But for the past 10 to 15 years I've tried or made about every sauce except Head Country. I went back to basics last weekend and used it on some wings ............ and dayuuum, its good.

Was listening to Malcom Reed's podcast today and him and Chel were talking about old school comp glazes. Malcolm said mixing Head Country with Texas Pepper Jelly was a staple of his old comp days.

And I happen to have this article in my bookmarks. Its the story of Head Country . Its from 20 years ago. This was about the time I was smoking my first brisket on a WSM.

The sauce still gets the majority of shelf space in Oklahoma grocery stores.

And smoking a brisket today is far removed from the brisket recipe at the bottom of the story.


HEAD COUNTRY Bar-B-Q This Ponca City barbecue sauce has been turning heads for 27 years

Sharon Dowell

November 3, 2004













PONCA CITY Mention Oklahoma barbecue, and many people can't help but think Head Country, as in Head Country Bar-B-Q sauce. Or Head Country seasoning. Or Head Country the restaurant. Or Head Country barbecue competition teams.

The mild sauce that typifies what Oklahoma barbecue is all about has made one Oklahoma family's name a household word the past 27 years

Danny Head said he's almost embarrassed when people ask him for his autograph. "Hell, I'm a cook, the Shidler native said in his earthy Oklahoma drawl. Even his mother insists she's not just Helen Head, she's Danny Head's mother.

"This celebrity part kind of surprises us, Danny Head said, adding, "I'm not a celebrity kind of guy, and I don't do anything to promote that.

In 1977, the oilfield construction contractor bought a simple recipe for a popular barbecue sauce his Uncle Bud Head created while in the Navy. At the end of World War II, the uncle returned to Oklahoma, started preparing the barbecue sauce for friends and eventually sold the sauce in feed stores around Osage County. Danny Head realized the recipe had potential for success.

Made with ketchup, brown sugar, spices, distilled vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, the barbecue sauce was so popular that Danny Head, trained in agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University, eventually gave up the oilfield career to concentrate on producing and marketing his barbecue sauce. He moved to Ponca City to open a barbecue sauce plant in former World War II Royal Air Force training barracks.

Today, the family business includes several varieties of barbecue sauce, seasoning, marinade and salsa as well as a Ponca City restaurant that opened in 1985. The restaurant menu features all the typical barbecue fare, seasoned with the Head Country products, of course. The companies employ about 30 people. Danny's wife, Carey, handles marketing. His son, C.R., is also involved in the business.

Head Country now represents 57 percent of the Oklahoma grocery market in barbecue sauce sales, Danny Head said. It's also sold in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Texas and New Mexico.

"The barbecue sauce is still made with the same ingredients just like it was 58 years ago, said Paul Schatte, Head Country Food Products general manager. The sauce contains no modifiers, gums, starches or colors. The company Web site, www.headcountry.com, even lists ingredients used in the Head Country sauce right alongside the ingredient lists for two of its national competitors' sauces.

Danny Head defines the Oklahoma style of barbecue in one word: mild.

Mesquite wood, commonly used in Texas, produces a harsher smoke taste in that style of barbecue, Head said.

"In Texas, they do a lot of what they call mopping of the barbecue or basting it while it's cooking. And so, whatever's in the mopping solution is going to definitely give the meat that flavor, especially if there's stray ingredients in there like vinegar or onions.

"We use exclusively pecan, he said. "Hickory is fine, but if it's not cured is a little bit green it can give a harsh smoke taste. Pecan doesn't do that.

Schatte said, "You can take pieces of meat, any meat, and cook one with mesquite and the other with pecan, and the one cooked with mesquite is going to be almost black. That's not because of the heat of the wood or anything. It's the smoke that comes off the wood.

Schatte, a former Lutheran school principal, met Danny Head 14 years ago when he inquired about a Ponca City barbecue competition.


"Danny's style of cooking is very similar to what my dad did at home and what I learned, Schatte said. "We cook a little hotter and faster than what a lot of barbecuers do. They like to cook at 225 degrees, which is a pretty low temperature in barbecue.

Schatte, who represents Head Country in barbecue competitions, said Head Country has a reputation for being the last ones to show up at a contest, but it's all part of the winning strategy.

"We use our Head Country products on all the meat we cook, Schatte said. "And we've used the barbecue circuit to promote our products. But we also promote the barbecue industry. We haven't been secretive. We're outspoken, and like Danny trained me, we've trained other people on the circuit, and they do well.

Asked to share what's made his barbecue venture so successful, Danny Head quietly pondered the question for a few moments.

"I don't think I could start my business today like I did back in 1977. Not with the same money and still be successful, because today, 177 others are trying to do it, too.







Head Country Bar-B-Q Brisket

3-4 pound brisket, nose off or flat

1/4 cup Head Country seasoning

Radich's Bor-De-Lay sauce or Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup Head Country marinade

Head Country barbecue sauce

Ask for this cut of meat rather than using the fattier and much bigger "packer trim" brisket. Generously season the brisket with seasoning and rub into the brisket with the heel of your hand. Leave the "fat cap" intact and season it. Place in large plastic bag. Add Bor-De-Lay or Worcestershire sauce as desired. Seal bag and refrigerate from 1 hour to overnight.

Build a fire in the smoker or to one side of a grill using the best quality charcoal and well-seasoned pecan wood. (If using wood chips, soak in water for 30 minutes, place on a foil sheet or foil pie plate and then on grill. Also, if you are using lighter fluid as a starter, be sure to let the fire burn at least 30 minutes to clear all lighter fluid fumes.) Use enough fuel to have the cooker's thermometer register 250 degrees.

Place brisket away from direct heat and smoke for 3 hours at 250 degrees. Place brisket on large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and baste with barbecue sauce. Wrap very securely to preserve the meat's natural juices. Increase cooker's temperature to 325-350 degrees. Continue cooking for an additional 3 hours until meat thermometer inserted through the foil into the center of the brisket registers an internal temperature of 200 degrees. Remove from fire and set aside to rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing.

To serve, remove fat cap and slice across the grain. If enough beef is in the fat cap to warrant the effort, trim fat away from meat and serve.
 
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I cut my barbecue teeth on Head Country. But for the past 10 to 15 years I've tried or made about every sauce except Head Country. I went back to basics last weekend and used it on some wings ............ and dayuuum, its good.

Was listening to Malcom Reed's podcast today and him and Chel were talking about old school comp glazes. Malcolm said mixing Head Country with Texas Pepper Jelly was a staple of his old comp days.

And I happen to have this article in my bookmarks. Its the story of Head Country . Its from 20 years ago. This was about the time I was smoking my first brisket on a WSM.

The sauce still gets the majority of shelf space in Oklahoma grocery stores.

And smoking a brisket today is far removed from the brisket recipe at the bottom of the story.


HEAD COUNTRY Bar-B-Q This Ponca City barbecue sauce has been turning heads for 27 years

Sharon Dowell

November 3, 2004













PONCA CITY Mention Oklahoma barbecue, and many people can't help but think Head Country, as in Head Country Bar-B-Q sauce. Or Head Country seasoning. Or Head Country the restaurant. Or Head Country barbecue competition teams.

The mild sauce that typifies what Oklahoma barbecue is all about has made one Oklahoma family's name a household word the past 27 years

Danny Head said he's almost embarrassed when people ask him for his autograph. "Hell, I'm a cook, the Shidler native said in his earthy Oklahoma drawl. Even his mother insists she's not just Helen Head, she's Danny Head's mother.

"This celebrity part kind of surprises us, Danny Head said, adding, "I'm not a celebrity kind of guy, and I don't do anything to promote that.

In 1977, the oilfield construction contractor bought a simple recipe for a popular barbecue sauce his Uncle Bud Head created while in the Navy. At the end of World War II, the uncle returned to Oklahoma, started preparing the barbecue sauce for friends and eventually sold the sauce in feed stores around Osage County. Danny Head realized the recipe had potential for success.

Made with ketchup, brown sugar, spices, distilled vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, the barbecue sauce was so popular that Danny Head, trained in agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University, eventually gave up the oilfield career to concentrate on producing and marketing his barbecue sauce. He moved to Ponca City to open a barbecue sauce plant in former World War II Royal Air Force training barracks.

Today, the family business includes several varieties of barbecue sauce, seasoning, marinade and salsa as well as a Ponca City restaurant that opened in 1985. The restaurant menu features all the typical barbecue fare, seasoned with the Head Country products, of course. The companies employ about 30 people. Danny's wife, Carey, handles marketing. His son, C.R., is also involved in the business.

Head Country now represents 57 percent of the Oklahoma grocery market in barbecue sauce sales, Danny Head said. It's also sold in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Texas and New Mexico.

"The barbecue sauce is still made with the same ingredients just like it was 58 years ago, said Paul Schatte, Head Country Food Products general manager. The sauce contains no modifiers, gums, starches or colors. The company Web site, www.headcountry.com, even lists ingredients used in the Head Country sauce right alongside the ingredient lists for two of its national competitors' sauces.

Danny Head defines the Oklahoma style of barbecue in one word: mild.

Mesquite wood, commonly used in Texas, produces a harsher smoke taste in that style of barbecue, Head said.

"In Texas, they do a lot of what they call mopping of the barbecue or basting it while it's cooking. And so, whatever's in the mopping solution is going to definitely give the meat that flavor, especially if there's stray ingredients in there like vinegar or onions.

"We use exclusively pecan, he said. "Hickory is fine, but if it's not cured is a little bit green it can give a harsh smoke taste. Pecan doesn't do that.

Schatte said, "You can take pieces of meat, any meat, and cook one with mesquite and the other with pecan, and the one cooked with mesquite is going to be almost black. That's not because of the heat of the wood or anything. It's the smoke that comes off the wood.

Schatte, a former Lutheran school principal, met Danny Head 14 years ago when he inquired about a Ponca City barbecue competition.


"Danny's style of cooking is very similar to what my dad did at home and what I learned, Schatte said. "We cook a little hotter and faster than what a lot of barbecuers do. They like to cook at 225 degrees, which is a pretty low temperature in barbecue.

Schatte, who represents Head Country in barbecue competitions, said Head Country has a reputation for being the last ones to show up at a contest, but it's all part of the winning strategy.

"We use our Head Country products on all the meat we cook, Schatte said. "And we've used the barbecue circuit to promote our products. But we also promote the barbecue industry. We haven't been secretive. We're outspoken, and like Danny trained me, we've trained other people on the circuit, and they do well.

Asked to share what's made his barbecue venture so successful, Danny Head quietly pondered the question for a few moments.

"Danny's style of cooking is very similar to what my dad did at home and what I learned, Schatte said. "We cook a little hotter and faster than what a lot of barbecuers do. They like to cook at 225 degrees, which is a pretty low temperature in barbecue.

Schatte, who represents Head Country in barbecue competitions, said Head Country has a reputation for being the last ones to show up at a contest, but it's all part of the winning strategy.

"We use our Head Country products on all the meat we cook, Schatte said. "And we've used the barbecue circuit to promote our products. But we also promote the barbecue industry. We haven't been secretive. We're outspoken, and like Danny trained me, we've trained other people on the circuit, and they do well.

Asked to share what's made his barbecue venture so successful, Danny Head quietly pondered the question for a few moments.

Head Country Bar-B-Q Brisket

3-4 pound brisket, nose off or flat

1/4 cup Head Country seasoning

Radich's Bor-De-Lay sauce or Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup Head Country marinade

Head Country barbecue sauce

Ask for this cut of meat rather than using the fattier and much bigger "packer trim" brisket. Generously season the brisket with seasoning and rub into the brisket with the heel of your hand. Leave the "fat cap" intact and season it. Place in large plastic bag. Add Bor-De-Lay or Worcestershire sauce as desired. Seal bag and refrigerate from 1 hour to overnight.

Build a fire in the smoker or to one side of a grill using the best quality charcoal and well-seasoned pecan wood. (If using wood chips, soak in water for 30 minutes, place on a foil sheet or foil pie plate and then on grill. Also, if you are using lighter fluid as a starter, be sure to let the fire burn at least 30 minutes to clear all lighter fluid fumes.) Use enough fuel to have the cooker's thermometer register 250 degrees.

Place brisket away from direct heat and smoke for 3 hours at 250 degrees. Place brisket on large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and baste with barbecue sauce. Wrap very securely to preserve the meat's natural juices. Increase cooker's temperature to 325-350 degrees. Continue cooking for an additional 3 hours until meat thermometer inserted through the foil into the center of the brisket registers an internal temperature of 200 degrees. Remove from fire and set aside to rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing.

To serve, remove fat cap and slice across the grain. If enough beef is in the fat cap to warrant the effort, trim fat away from meat and serve.
Yeah Head Country is good to go all the time.
They also make the best sugar-free BBQ sauce I have found. For me it completely blows away G Hughes, Kinders, and some other random ones I've tried.
So much so that when I bring it to family BBQ events people pick it up and use it without checking and never know it's sugar free and thoroughly enjoy it like any Head Country sauce :D
 
Love Head Country sauces, especially their Hickory.... Hard to find it in So Calif so thankfully Amazon carries it.
 
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I cut my barbecue teeth on Head Country
Me too, along with many of the old school rubs. I'm not a sauce guy.... but I use HC Marinade on most of my beef sous vide prep and a lot of my grilling prep.
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Yeah Head Country is good to go all the time.
They also make the best sugar-free BBQ sauce I have found. For me it completely blows away G Hughes, Kinders, and some other random ones I've tried.
So much so that when I bring it to family BBQ events people pick it up and use it without checking and never know it's sugar free and thoroughly enjoy it like any Head Country sauce :D
I'll have to check it out. I have used G Hughes a lot but my current favorite is Famous Dave's Sugar Free.
 
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I'll have to check it out. I have used G Hughes a lot but my current favorite is Famous Dave's Sugar Free.
I'll keep an eye out for Fames Daves.
G Hughes is better than any Kinders but OMG why does G Hughs put so much nutmeg or whatever in his. To me it starts to feel dangerously close to entering pumpkin spice territory hahaha :D
 
I'll keep an eye out for Fames Daves.
G Hughes is better than any Kinders but OMG why does G Hughs put so much nutmeg or whatever in his. To me it starts to feel dangerously close to entering pumpkin spice territory hahaha :D
Which Hughes did you use. I usually use the original or Hickorym I just ordered a bottle of SF Head Country on Amazon
 
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"Made with ketchup, brown sugar, spices, distilled vinegar and Worcestershire sauce..."

Sounds like KC BBQ sauce without the sugar. 👍
 
Yeah Head Country is good to go all the time.
They also make the best sugar-free BBQ sauce I have found. For me it completely blows away G Hughes, Kinders, and some other random ones I've tried.
So much so that when I bring it to family BBQ events people pick it up and use it without checking and never know it's sugar free and thoroughly enjoy it like any Head Country sauce :D
I just got mine today via Amazon. Did you know they also have a sugar free apple habanero BBQ?? Yes it's headed my way lol
 
I just got mine today via Amazon. Did you know they also have a sugar free apple habanero BBQ?? Yes it's headed my way lol
Holy crap, I had no idea! I only ever knew of the normal sugar free one because I saw it on the shelf at the store. I may have to try the apple habanero one too provided the natural sugars aren't too high :D
 
Holy crap, I had no idea! I only ever knew of the normal sugar free one because I saw it on the shelf at the store. I may have to try the apple habanero one too provided the natural sugars aren't too high :D
Super low, I'd assume the apple is flavoring.They also have sugar free hot and spicy. Label is for the SF apple habanero
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