Walsenburg Colorado

just found this site, actually searching for who makes the half-smoke prevalent in DC area, but in thinking about cool road food remembered this joint, a semi-permanent stand in the Safeway parking lot in Walsenburg CO: http://www.fnbtrinidad.com/FirstNews/summer2005/Page6.asp

Damndest thing, combines a pretty good pulled pork in a standard southwestern tamale, with pretty hot green chile along with the Q, inside the tamale. BBQ meets Santa fe kind of thing. Think he calls them "smoked tamales" but it's only the pork that is smoked, in the big outdoor smoker adjacent to the shack; the tamales themselves are steamed in husks the usual way....

As far as I know, the most prevalent spicy sausage used for half-smokes in D.C are the hot sausages made by Sabrett. I asked about the half-smokes one time and the vendor pulled out a package of Sabrett's hot sausages. Since the half-smokes from the other carts I tried tasted exactly the same I am assuming they also used Sabrett. The one exception I know of is Ben's Chili Bowl which makes their own style of half-smoke. I can get the Sabrett hot sausages for home when I visit my brother who lives outside of Baltimore. The B.J.'s Club he goes to sells them. Outside of that I've only seen the Sabrett hot dogs in grocery stores. I've shown them the packaging from the hot sausages and told them how popular they are but they pretty much dismissed the idea of getting some to see how well they sold.

Well, I've been to Walenburg but I don't remember the shack you are talking about. The recipe for the smoked tamale is interesting though. I make great pulled pork and I also make a pretty fair tamale so I will definitly try this treatment at home. You might be able to find half smoked in butcher shops or in a specialty foods market. Check with your local fresh foods market.

Southdenverhoo, welcome to roadfood and thanks for the info on the smoked pulled pork tamales. I'll have to try that, maybe for Christmas tamales?

MikeS.