Here we are, only 18 days until The Great Minnesota Get-Together!
And we cannot wait!
To start revving up to the awesome, we are going to do a post a day, highlighting some of our all-time favorite "classic" foods we get at the MN State Fair.
Our classics may differ from yours, so if you disagree, let us know in the comments!
All right! Today we're starting with a favorite:
Location: Poncho Dogs are found throughout the fair, though the one we frequent is right inside the main entrance, in front of O’Gara’s
Sarah: Oh Poncho Dog corn dog! How I love thee! Let me count the ways:
But actually, I cannot. Because I would never stop counting. My love for you is infinite. INFINITE!
I mean, let’s get serious here. A corn dog is a pretty rad food. No matter where you get it, it’s pretty decent even if it’s not, you know, the BEST corn dog ever.
But the corn dogs at the MN State Fair, the ones from the Poncho Dog stand, are hands down the absolute best. I like ketchup on mine, and no mustard, but I will not begrudge mustard lovers their yellow condiment on a Poncho Dog corn dog. Poncho Dog corn dogs are love. There is room for all of us in their sweet, warm embrace.
EVEN if you get a stellar corn dog elsewhere (say, Como Town, with their all beef corn dogs) and you’re thinking, this was a really stellar corn dog, and I don’t really know how Poncho Dog will hold up because it’s been an entire year since the last MN State Fair, as soon as you bite into that delicious Poncho Dog corn dog, you realize how utterly wrong you were.
No other corn dog can compare. NO OTHER. And no, pronto pups are not better. Corn dogs are made with corn meal, so the breading is slightly sweet, juxtaposing with the meaty goodness of the hot dog. Pronto pups are made with flour. Booooo. Why don’t you just take a piece of white bread and wrap it around your hotdog and pretend it’s almost as good as a bun?
Because that’s pretty much what you’re doing and we all know you’re not fooling anyone.
Anne: Let’s start this countdown right, with the supreme, most delicious and perfect fair food- the corn dog
Oh, delicious dog
Wrapped in nummy corn batter
State fair perfection
That’s right! I wrote a freaking haiku about corn dogs- that’s how fantastic they are. If you’re one of those people that prefers pronto pups to corn dogs, let me tell you why you’re wrong.
Pronto pups are made with flour. Corn dogs are made with cornmeal. Cornmeal is sweet- flour is blah. I mean- a pronto pup is basically just a hotdog with a deep fried bun. Better than a regular hotdog? Maybe. But nothing special and DEFINITELY not as sweet, crispy and lovely as the corndog. Also- did you know flour can give you E. Coli? Yep. Contrary to popular belief, raw flour, not raw eggs, is why we shouldn’t eat raw cookie dough (I could do a whole food rant about water waste and egg safety, but we’re here to talk about corn dogs). I’m not saying that a Pronto Pup will give you E. Coli…but it MIGHT.
Just picture it- strolling through the main entrance of the fair first thing in the morning and lo- there she is- the Poncho Dog corn dog stand. There are a lot of corn dog stops at the State Fair, but none as delicious as Poncho Dog. You stop in, pay up a couple bucks, slather on that ketchup and/or mustard (there is no wrong way to enjoy a corn dog) and take a bite- your State Fair feasting has begun.
Bliss.
Patrick: Let’s be clear right up front. There are really two staples when it comes to battered hot dogs on a stick. There is the Corn Dog; a hot dog dipped in sweet corn batter. Then there is the Pronto Pup; a hot dog shoved into bland flour sludge.
Pronto Pups are a joke. The Corn Dog is king! Never let anyone tell you otherwise, because they just don’t know better. They are ignorant, and should have your pity, if not all out scorn.
Corn Dogs should be a little sweet and crispy on the outside, with a soft sweet corn flavor on the inside, around a juicy, meaty hot dog. Perfection! Possibly the best place to get a Corn Dog at the MN State Fair is at Poncho Dog. They have more than one stand and they always do it right.
I recommend getting one first thing when you set foot on the fairgrounds, to set yourself up for a delicious successful day. It is how I do it, and I never break tradition!
To start revving up to the awesome, we are going to do a post a day, highlighting some of our all-time favorite "classic" foods we get at the MN State Fair.
Our classics may differ from yours, so if you disagree, let us know in the comments!
All right! Today we're starting with a favorite:
Poncho Dog Corn Dogs
Location: Poncho Dogs are found throughout the fair, though the one we frequent is right inside the main entrance, in front of O’Gara’s
Sarah: Oh Poncho Dog corn dog! How I love thee! Let me count the ways:
But actually, I cannot. Because I would never stop counting. My love for you is infinite. INFINITE!
I mean, let’s get serious here. A corn dog is a pretty rad food. No matter where you get it, it’s pretty decent even if it’s not, you know, the BEST corn dog ever.
But the corn dogs at the MN State Fair, the ones from the Poncho Dog stand, are hands down the absolute best. I like ketchup on mine, and no mustard, but I will not begrudge mustard lovers their yellow condiment on a Poncho Dog corn dog. Poncho Dog corn dogs are love. There is room for all of us in their sweet, warm embrace.
EVEN if you get a stellar corn dog elsewhere (say, Como Town, with their all beef corn dogs) and you’re thinking, this was a really stellar corn dog, and I don’t really know how Poncho Dog will hold up because it’s been an entire year since the last MN State Fair, as soon as you bite into that delicious Poncho Dog corn dog, you realize how utterly wrong you were.
No other corn dog can compare. NO OTHER. And no, pronto pups are not better. Corn dogs are made with corn meal, so the breading is slightly sweet, juxtaposing with the meaty goodness of the hot dog. Pronto pups are made with flour. Booooo. Why don’t you just take a piece of white bread and wrap it around your hotdog and pretend it’s almost as good as a bun?
Because that’s pretty much what you’re doing and we all know you’re not fooling anyone.
Anne: Let’s start this countdown right, with the supreme, most delicious and perfect fair food- the corn dog
Oh, delicious dog
Wrapped in nummy corn batter
State fair perfection
That’s right! I wrote a freaking haiku about corn dogs- that’s how fantastic they are. If you’re one of those people that prefers pronto pups to corn dogs, let me tell you why you’re wrong.
Pronto pups are made with flour. Corn dogs are made with cornmeal. Cornmeal is sweet- flour is blah. I mean- a pronto pup is basically just a hotdog with a deep fried bun. Better than a regular hotdog? Maybe. But nothing special and DEFINITELY not as sweet, crispy and lovely as the corndog. Also- did you know flour can give you E. Coli? Yep. Contrary to popular belief, raw flour, not raw eggs, is why we shouldn’t eat raw cookie dough (I could do a whole food rant about water waste and egg safety, but we’re here to talk about corn dogs). I’m not saying that a Pronto Pup will give you E. Coli…but it MIGHT.
Just picture it- strolling through the main entrance of the fair first thing in the morning and lo- there she is- the Poncho Dog corn dog stand. There are a lot of corn dog stops at the State Fair, but none as delicious as Poncho Dog. You stop in, pay up a couple bucks, slather on that ketchup and/or mustard (there is no wrong way to enjoy a corn dog) and take a bite- your State Fair feasting has begun.
Bliss.
Patrick: Let’s be clear right up front. There are really two staples when it comes to battered hot dogs on a stick. There is the Corn Dog; a hot dog dipped in sweet corn batter. Then there is the Pronto Pup; a hot dog shoved into bland flour sludge.
Pronto Pups are a joke. The Corn Dog is king! Never let anyone tell you otherwise, because they just don’t know better. They are ignorant, and should have your pity, if not all out scorn.
Corn Dogs should be a little sweet and crispy on the outside, with a soft sweet corn flavor on the inside, around a juicy, meaty hot dog. Perfection! Possibly the best place to get a Corn Dog at the MN State Fair is at Poncho Dog. They have more than one stand and they always do it right.
I recommend getting one first thing when you set foot on the fairgrounds, to set yourself up for a delicious successful day. It is how I do it, and I never break tradition!
First of all, I wholeheartedly endorse this project. Except for the fact that it makes me want to go to the fair NOW, when I have to instead wait 18+ days.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I agree that the corn dog is superior to the pronto pup in all ways but one: I really wish the corn dog purveyors would apply the smear of mustard (or ketchup, if you're some kind of weirdo) via brush to the dog the way the pronto puppers do. It creates an even distribution of dog-to-condiment ratio that you can't get applying it yourself from a super large condiment bottle (as the mustard comes out in a narrow stream, rather than a wide brush stroke), and the smear makes it less likely that the mustard will drip off the dog and onto my shirt, staining it with shame.
oh god, consolidating all these posts has driven my fair desire THROUGH THE ROOF.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes. I think your criticism of the corn dog is spot on. I, too, would like my condiments brushed onto that delicious, corny goodness
Do...do we bring the corn dog to the Pronto pup stand and ask them to slather it for us?!
ReplyDeleteOh man, that would be FANTASTIC! I'd love to see the look on their faces.
DeleteYou guys - you just use your finger to smear the mustard and/or ketchup on there. Totally sanitary? No, but let's not pretend that you've never licked your fingers at the fair. I love the pronto pup hating, spot on!
ReplyDeleteWhile I am not above licking my fingers clean in most cases, I will admit I have a strange...aversion towards ever consuming ketchup (my corn dog condiment of choice) on its own. I think I have a deep-seated fear that ketchup, when not physically touching some other food item, is poisonous on its own and tastes like garbage. I love the stuff on fries, burgers, dogs, whatever...but I will NOT clean up any spilled ketchup with anything other than a napkin or fire hose.
ReplyDeleteHaha, fair enough! ;)
Delete