VIDEO: Six Half Smoke Hacks From a Ben’s Chili Bowl Historian

How do you eat a Ben’s Chili Bowl half smoke?

According to a new video released by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, there’s a right way to do it. At least, that’s what George Washington University staffer and Ben’s Chili Bowl historian Dr. Bernard Demczuk says in an interview with the council’s “Queen of Wein,” Janet Riley.

“It really saddens me to see people eating their chili dog and spilling the sauce all over the place,” Demczuk says in the video.

According to the expert, the proper way to eat a half smoke and avoid “sauce slippage” involves a six-step process. Of course, we made each step into its own informative GIF:

Step 1: “Positioning”

“You’ve got to get things out of the way and have plenty of elbow room,” Demczuk says. “And get this hot dog set just right so you can lift it and grip it.”

Step 2: “The Grip”

Grip the sausage. “Not too tight, not too loose,” Demczuk says. The key here is to avoid smooshing out the sauce.

Step 3: “The Lift”

You have to lift and hold the hot dog before you eat it. Demczuk recommends holding the half smoke level.

Step 4: “The Entry”

Though Demczuk says you should call this “really important” step “The Entry,” you probably don’t need to do that for obvious reasons. Tilt the sausage at a 45-degree angle and pop that sucker in. Be careful to avoid bumping into your teeth, Demczuk adds.

Step 5: “The Bite”

“Bite with your canines and cut that skin really well so you can explode the juices in your mouth,” says Demczuk. We’re going to leave it at that.

Step 6: “Repeat”

Repeat step five until you have consumed the entire thing. This is sometimes called “eating” by some people in the scientific community.

Got your own sausage-eating tips? Ben’s Chili Bowl wants to hear them. And if your tips are half as good as Dr. Demczuk’s, you might just win lunch with Ben’s owner Virginia Ali herself, according to the U Street landmark.

Gifs via National Hot Dog and Sausage Council video; made with gifs