I don’t mix my meats. I don’t even eat meat-lovers pizza. It makes me unpopular at parties, but if you asked me on Monday, I would have told you that meat-on-meat is overkill.

Now, you can call me a believer.

Albert Lea-based Smokin Bros has been at the Freeborn County Fair for several years. When I went up for barbecue, the vendor recommended two things: their pulled pork and — my new favorite — the Bro Dog.

Picture a 100-percent beef, brat-sized dog topped with pulled pork and lightly smothered with liquid cheese and Smokin Bros’ award-winning barbecue sauce, all nestled into a bun that only pretends to contain it. Make no mistake: this is a two-hands, sit-down food.

The salt from the beef dog was cut by the creaminess of the cheese, rounded out by the sweet kick of the sauce and finished with the most tender pulled pork I’ve ever had (please don’t tell my mom). The flavors were well-balanced, the meats were perfectly cooked and the end result was a delicious and incredibly filling food that screamed summer fair fun.