Half-smoke

Half-smoke

Chili half-smoke at Ben's Chili Bowl
Course	Main course
Place of origin	United States
Region or state	Washington, D.C.
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredients	Pork, beef
Media: Half-smoke

A half-smoke is a "local sausage delicacy" found in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding region. Similar to a hot dog, but usually larger, spicier, and with more coarsely-ground meat, the sausage is often half-pork and half-beef, smoked, and served with a bevy of herbs, onion, and chili sauce.

Ingredients and preparation

Though the etymology of "half-smoke" likely comes from the original half-pork, half-beef composition and smoked method of preparation, variants are common. A half-smoke can be 100% beef and steamed instead of smoked. Another explanation of the name holds that is that many places cut the sausage in half when grilling.

History

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 eroded.

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 many other hot dog carts throughout the downtown area. Half-smokes are the "official dog" of the Washington Nationals. The most prominent location is often cited as Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington's U Street neighborhood, which gained widespread exposure when visited by President Barack Obama in 2009.

Another popular location for half-smokes is the Weenie Beenie in South Arlington located near the W&OD trail. Founded in 1950, it pre-dates Ben's Chili Bowl and is the inspiration behind the Foo Fighters song "Weenie Beenie".