DC Half Smokes-Need recipe please

[johnp3205]

I have been to Washington DC many times and have never heard of their sausage called
'half-smokes" until recently. I hear they are a mix of beef and pork but that is about all I know about them. Has anyone heard of or made these?

 

[Hawging It]

I have been to the DC area several times as well. Was actually there in June. I have never heard of the half-smokes either. I do know they have hundreds of half ass politicians though.

 

[DanMcG]

There're recipes on the web, But I couldn't recommend one since I've never tasted a Half Smoked.
I guess you could use one for a baseline and experiment.

here's one that sounds interesting;
https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/kosta-kontogiannis-half-smoke-sausage-tailgating-recipe/

 

[clifish]

I have been to the DC area several times as well. Was actually there in June. I have never heard of the half-smokes either. I do know they have hundreds of half ass politicians though.

There are plenty of those in every state...even many full ass ones!

 

[mdboatbum]

Lived in or right outside DC most of my life and have had many half smokes. As far as I can tell, you start off making a half beef, half pork Kielbasa. Make sure it's at least half fat. And cut the seasonings by at least half. Then smoke it for a half hour. Then simmer it half the day in a vat of greasy, dirty water until it's half green. Then put it on a half stale bun.

Seriously, the half smoke isn't half bad. It's all bad.

These were pretty much all DC had to offer street food wise back in the '80s, and they were usually cheap, so we'd eat them after the bars closed.

I'll check and see if the local grocery has any next time I go, and if they do I'll snap a photo of the ingredient list.