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[Jim Garrett]

(05-09-2013 08:16 PM)Jim Page Wrote:  

(05-09-2013 08:10 PM)Jim Page Wrote:  By the way, the term "half-smoke" is one I never heard of before moving to the DC area. How a half-smoke differs from a hot dog is something I am curious about.

Attempting to answer my own query, via Wikipedia:
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" possibly comes from the original half-pork, half-beef composition, the ingredients and smoked method of preparation, vary by brand and some brands even make more than one kind. A half-smoke can be 50% pork, 50% beef or 100% beef or anywhere in between; it can be steamed instead of smoked. Another possible explanation is that the texture and flavor is half way between smoked sausage and a regular hotdog. Yet another explanation is that it refers to many cooks cutting the sausage in half when grilling. In any case, the products sold under the name generally have a genuine or artificial smoke flavoring and coarser texture than a regular hotdog and are the key features that distinguish.

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, by some accounts, the quality of the meat eroded.

Jim Page is currently working on a 2 volume history of the Half Smoke. He will be finishing it soon...........the half smoke, that is.