In the small town of Pierz, Minnesota, which is located an hour north of St. Cloud and two hours from Minneapolis, there is a butcher with a big reputation.
Thielen Meats has been in the business of custom butchery and bacon curing for over 80 years. Minnesotans will drive many miles to visit the store. But in recent years, thanks largely to some national media coverage, Thielen’s has also developed a following from outside Minnesota.
Thielen Meats was my last smokehouse stop on my cross country bacon tour of America. When you pull up to the store and step out of your car, you are instantly greeted with the smell of smoking meat before you even enter the store. For the most part, the store looks like any standard butcher shop in the United States. But the real magic happens in the back where there are three very large custom built smoking rooms (hence the reason that practically the entire city block smells like bacon).
Thielen Meats smokes their bacon with a special blend of three hardwoods that is still a family secret. I was able to sample a few strips in the breakroom before taking the tour – even though it was early in the day and I had already eaten bacon for breakfast just an hour before, I was still able to find room for the Thielen bacon because it was just that delicious.