Ben's Chili Bowl Half-Smokes with Chili Sauce

"Where's the food at?"

-- President Barack Obama 

If you have lived in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area for any period of time, then you know the answer to the above question. It is Ben's Chili Bowl, a culinary landmark in the nation's capitol. President Obama asked the above question when he walked through the restaurant's doors in January 2009. And, while Ben's Chili Bowl has always been known for its food, the restaurant is also known for its important contributions over the decades. 

Ben's Chili Bowl opened on August 22, 1958. Its founders were Ben Ali, a Trinidadian immigrant who was studying dentistry at nearby Howard University, and his financee, Virginia Rollins. The couple (who were married seven weeks after the restaurant opened) opened their restaurant in a building that housed Washington, D.C.'s first silent movie theater, the Minnehaha. The building was located on U Street, NW, which was known as the "Black Broadway." There were venues such as the Club Crystal Caverns (later known as the Bohemian Caverns), the Lincoln Theatre, and the Howard Theatre. Legendary jazz musicians, such as Washington, D.C.'s own Duke Ellington, along with  Cab Calloway, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughn, regularly performed at these venues. 

A Refuge Within a Refuge

Black Broadway was just part of a larger community where, during the first half of the twentieth century, African-Americans built a community where they could thrive culturally and economically in the midst of Jim Crow's tight grip. The U Street area was a "city within a city." African Americans could establish their own businesses, such as Industrial Bank, which nine businessmen established in 1934 to provide loans to African-Americans who were unable to do business at white-owned banks. Virginia Rollins -- later Virginia Ali -- worked at the Industrial Bank before she joined Ben to open their restaurant. There was also the Twelfth Street YMCA, which was the first African-American recreation center, which would later become an important meeting place for activists during the civil rights movement.

Another important meeting place for activists was Ben's Chili Bowl. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. held meetings with activists at the restaurant. Virginia Ali remembers one of those meetings, in which Dr. King talked about a meeting he and other civil rights activists (such as Bayard Rustin, A. Philip Randolph and John Lewis) had with President John F. Kennedy. Dr. King told President Kennedy that the activists intended to bring a large group of protestors to Washington, D.C. to protest the injustices inflicted upon African Americans in the United States. President Kennedy responded "I don't think that would be a good idea," adding that if an incident arose at the event, then it would set back the movement. Dr. King replied, "There will be. No. Incident." The March on Washington then took place in 1963 with 250,000 people descending upon the National Mall. Two of those people where Ben and Virginia Ali, who donated and served their iconic dish -- the Original Chili Half-Smoke -- to the activists who organized and participated in the march. (A half-smoke is a sausage that is half-pork and half-beef.)

Ben's Chili Bowl continued to serve as a refuge, especially after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in 1968. As the U Street area convulsed with riots fueled by anger and sadness with the news of Dr. King's death, a curfew was imposed in the area. Civil rights activist, Stokely Carmicheal obtained an exception from the local authorities for Ben's Chili Bowl. The exception allowed Ben and Virginial Ali to remain open, serving both protestors and National Guard members. The devastation of the riots left burned businesses up and down U Street. Only three businesses survived: Industrial Bank, Lee's Flower Shop and Ben's Chili Bowl. 

Comfort Food that Energizes and Makes Protestors Feel Appreciated.

Over decades that followed, Ben's Chili Bowl continues to be a refuge for everyone, even up to the present. As protests erupted over the death of George Floyd in May 2020 and the continued racism against African-Americans, Ben's Chili Bowl continued to serve its iconic dishes, including the Original Chili Half Smoke to everyone. Activists, demonstrators, and city officials would enter through the threshold to find a meeting place where they could sit and enjoy a meal. As Virginia's daughter, Vida Ali, once observed, 

"[w]hen you are eating the chili, or the half smoke, or the beef dog, or the burger, it's way more than that. It's the love, the culture, the history, the warmth. When we hand something to someone who is demonstrating, we're handling all of that, in a sandwich."

Although I have not been an activist, protestor or city official, I have enjoyed the half-smokes from Ben's Chili Bowl. And, recently, I wanted to honor that dish in my own little way, by trying to recreate the dish at home. And, that was a bit of its own struggle.

Part of the success of Ben's Chili Bowl lies with the fact that it is truly unique. There are no truly competing versions of the Original Chili Half Smoke. There is just Ben's Chili Bowl. And, it has been that way because there are certain aspects of the recipe and cooking process that remain a secret. I learned of that fact during my research for this post. I watched a clip from Legendary Eats, which went into the restaurant's kitchen to "watch" the process of preparing the iconic chili that gets served with the half-smokes. It was noted that the family prepares the spice mix used for the chili in brown paper bags, so that even the chefs do not know all of the ingredients. However, Adam Richman visited Ben's Chili Bowl for an episode of Man v. Food. When he observed the spice mix, Richman noted the scent of curry powder. That scent makes some sense, given Ben Ali came from the Indian community that lives in Trinidad & Tobago. So, while, I did not have the Ali's recipe for the curry powder, I set off to make my own based upon what recipes I could find on the internet. 

Fortunately, Ben's Chili Bowl sells its half-smokes in local grocery stores, where I was ablet to buy a package. Those half-smokes seem longer than the ones in the Legendary Eats clip, as they are far longer than the buns. Nevertheless, I proceeded with making the chile as described in Legendary Eats and as supplemented by the recipe set forth below. The one adjustment I made was I chopped the onions and green peppers more finely. My effort produced an admirable first effort and a very delicious meal, although not to the level as the chefs and cooks of Ben's Chili Bowl. 

BEN'S CHILI BOWL HALF-SMOKES WITH CHILI SAUCE

Recipe from In the Fire Kitchen

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons dehydrated onion
• 2 teaspoons beef bouillon powder
• 3 tablespoons chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons masa harina
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 cups of water, divided
• 1 pound ground beef (80/20)
• Sea salt to taste
• 6 half-smokes
• 6 white hot dog buns
• Yellow mustard
• 1 small onion chopped

Directions:

1. Prepare the spice mixture. Combine the first 10 ingredients in a bowl. Whisk in 1 cup of water, making sure all the spices are evenly distributed and there are no lumps. 

2. Prepare the ground beef. Put the ground beef in a pot with the remaining 2 cups of water. Stir the beef and water to break up the beef into very fine bits. You do not want any ground beef chunks. Bring to a boil. 

3. Continue to prepare the chili. Add the spice mixture, bay leaf and tomato paste, stir to combine well. Turn the heat down to low and simmer uncovered for 60 to 70 minutes or until the chile sauce is still loose, but not liquidy with unabsorbed water. Adjust salt to taste, keeping in mind that half-smokes are salty on their own. 

4. Grill the half smokes. Heat a grill on medium heat and add the half-smokes. Turn the half-smokes every few minutes to prevent burning and to ensure even cooking. If you do it on a stove top, add the half smokes to a pan with 1/4 cup of water over medium high heat. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. Remove the cover for the remaining 10 minutes, allowing the water to boil off and the sausage to brown, turning once. 

5. Finish the dish. Place a hot dog bun on a plate. Add one sausage and about a tablespoon of chopped onion, a drizzle of yellow mustard, and about half a cup of the chile sauce. Serve with ridged potato chips for scooping up the extra chili sauce that falls out. 

PEACE.