A half-smoke is a type of sausage found in Washington, D.C., United States and the surrounding region. A half-smoke is slightly larger than than a regular hot dog, spicier and with more coarsely ground meat; it is usually grilled but can be found steamed. It is commonly made of beef, pork or a combination of the two, and is served on a hot dog bun. In 2000, The Washington Post Magazine named the half-smoke as the regional food in the Washington Dish Contest. Due to their size, they are often mistaken for the Polish sausage kielbasa.
History
The etymology of "half-smoke" is unclear as the sausage is not smoked.[1] One possible explanation is that many places cut the sausage in half when grilling, or that many half-smokes are 50/50 beef and pork (though 100% beef half-smokes are common). In the January 26, 2007 edition of the Washington City Paper, reporter Dave Jamieson examined the origins of the half-smoke.
The "original" half smoke is considered to be the sausage distributed by D.C.'s Briggs and Co. meatpackers, originating in around 1950, though Raymond Briggs started selling his half-smokes circa 1930. Eventually Briggs was sold to another meat distributor, where the quality of the meat allegedly was eroded. Today, the general consensus of the finest half-smoke is the Weenie Beenie in the Shirlington neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, or Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington.[2]
Venues
Numerous hot dog carts in Washington, D.C. sell steamed half-smokes, with those on Constitution Avenue catering to tourists and those on Pennsylvania Avenue serving federal employees, and formerly a long row of vendors serving half-smokes to baseball fans on East Capitol Street outside RFK Stadium. Restaurants such as Ben's Chili Bowl often grill their half-smokes.[3] Ben's half-smokes, which are half pork, half beef, are arguably the most renowned in the city and, once grilled, are split enough to run a line of mustard down the middle before topping with chili con carne and chopped onions. Comedian Bill Cosby is known to eat three half-smokes in one sitting during his occasional visits to Ben's Chili Bowl. Former mayor Anthony A. Williams often went to Ben's in an effort to improve his home-town credentials; he even went so far as to mention it in his inaugural address.[2]
Notes and references
- ^ "Look No Further! The Thrilling End Of The Grueling Search For A Washington Dish", Washington Post, 8 October 2000
- ^ a b "The Missing Link", Washington City Paper, 26 January 2007
- ^ "Half-smokes in the DC area forum discussion". roadfood.com. Retrieved 27 January.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help)