Meaty Monday: Indiana State Fair meat sweats

The intrigue: From BBQ Totchos to the pretzel bun beast known as "Bratzilla," the food lineup at the fair is full of head (and stomach) turners.

• So I, my wife and my antacid set out to see which one of these creations tasted as good as they looked.

What to order: For me, the star of the show was the Korean Corn Dog from Meatball Factory LLC.

• They put a hot dog and mozzarella cheese chunks on a stick; dip it all in donut batter; roll it in panko breadcrumbs and French fry pieces; then dunk it in a deep fryer.
• When ready, it's topped with ketchup, mustard, sweet chili Thai sauce and Sriracha.

My take: It's a lot lighter than it looks, but grab lots of napkins.

• The crispy, airy crust gave way to melty cheese that pulled like a mozzarella stick with every bite.

The other side: For my wife, the runaway winner was the Bison Smashburger Taco from Red Frazier Food Truck.

• It's a bison burger pressed into a flour tortilla and served with all the classic burger fixings.
• The burger on my taco was perfect, by the way. Medium-rare and I didn't even have to ask for it.

Fun fact: The woman who rang us up said the tacos were so popular they had to resupply after selling out of ingredients within the first few days of the fair.

• I don't doubt it. It was the longest food line of the day by far.

If you go: The fair is open every day except Mondays through Aug. 18. Discount fair tickets can be purchased at IndianaStateFair.com.