Bacon Jam.

And I don't mean a swine pressed, squeezed, or wedged tightly between bodies or surfaces, so that motion or extrication is made difficult or impossible. I mean bacon skillfully crafted into a spread appropriate for smearing on things-- in this case, a hot dog.

As the good weather comes to a close, I've decided that I'm eating at a mobile food vendor location every day that I can-- until they abandon the streets of Minneapolis for warmer climates (or indoor locations). This was an especially bold move when I thought that I'd be out-of-state for work during the majority of October. That work trip has been postponed, but why should I alter my brilliant plan?!

After recently visiting a cart that does NOT sell hot dogs, and with the Twitter announcement by the proprietor of Natedogs boasting "Today I have a "Bacon Explosion Dog"!!!", I made my way to Natedogs on 6th St. & Nicollet Mall.

Already a fan of Natedogs, because of his clear love of hot dogs, housemade Surly mustards, and aversion to ketchup as a hot dog condiment-- the introduction of bacon jam to the equation merely reinforced my affinity. The Bacon Explosion dog (pictured below) has a modest smear of bacon jam with Surly Bender mustard and onions-- and it's a flavorful combination without being overpowering. The jam doesn't dominate, but very nicely complements the hot dog-- which is nice, since Nate so carefully chose the hot dogs he sells from his cart (Pastures A Plenty, from Kerkhoven, MN).

I suggest trying the Bacon Explosion Dog when you get a moment. In the immortal tweets of Nate, "You won't regret it"!