How Seattle Butcher’s Wife inspires women to barbecue

How Seattle Butcher’s Wife Inspires Women to Barbecue

If you are a barbecue or grilling enthusiast who has been on Instagram at any time over the past year, you have likely stumbled across the great content from Misty Banchero, also known as Seattle Butcher’s Wife. She started her account in February of 2019 and has quickly grown her following, now reaching an engaged audience of over 35,000 people. She covers the world of backyard barbecue and grilling and showcases just how easy it is to get started with live-fire cooking. 

Misty Banchero’s Seattle Butcher’s Wife channel has grown into an influential resource for barbecue and grilling on Instagram.

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Misty and her husband Angelo, whose family has been in the meat industry in the Seattle area since 1932. Angelo’s business Mondo & Sons is a fourth-generation wholesale butcher shop that focuses on providing locally sourced and sustainably raised meat throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. They specialize in custom-crafted sausages, hams, bacon, and more. Angelo’s grandfather’s Banchero sausage recipe, which originally consisted of mild and hot Italian flavors, has now expanded upon to include 17 varieties.

Angelo said his family "always had a gas grill for cooking steaks and burgers in the summertime." The involvement of Mondo & Sons in the barbecue world came about as a result of their family’s relationship with Bob Lyons of the Pacific Northwest BBQ Association. Whenever pitmasters were in Seattle to hold classes or compete, Bob would bring them into the shop and Angelo would take the opportunity to pick their brains and learn techniques. 

Mondo & Sons, located in Tukwila, Washington, focuses on small-batch artisanal hams, bacon, sausage, and dry-aged meat.

Last year, however, things got more serious for the Banchero family when Misty started getting into barbecue and grilling. She acquired a Traeger and cooked her first meal for Easter and has been hooked ever since. She uses her Instagram account in part to highlight and honor the work her husband and his family have carried out for generations. Another part of her motivation for creating social media content is to inspire women. “So many women don’t want to mess things up.” She wants to give them confidence and allow them to get comfortable using a grill or smoker.

Misty has expanded beyond the world of Traeger pellet smokers to learn how to manage fires with her Arteflame. She also recently acquired a Big Green Egg, which so far she has used to cook one meal for her family. “Building and maintaining a fire takes a real commitment,” she said.

Misty Banchero loves using her Seattle Butcher’s Wife account to inspire women and to support her family business.

While she admits she is still learning, Misty also likes teaching, especially to young people. She loves being able to teach her children, nieces, and nephews how to plan, prepare, and execute a meal. When I asked her about her success in building a brand as a barbecue influencer on Instagram, she laughed. “I am surprised at the success but I love encouraging women,” she said.

“An influencer is someone who motivates people to take action,” she told me. Misty hopes she encourages people to not be afraid of learning how to start cooking barbecue and grilling.

Eventually, she hopes to build a website where she can host recipes, videos, and tips in one spot. For now, though she hopes to continue to grow and highlight Mondo & Sons. “My goal is still the same — to support the family business,” she stated.

Be sure to follow along with Seattle Butcher's Wife and Mondo & Sons on Instagram and be on the lookout for more great recipes and tips from Misty in the future.

Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)
Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet

—The brisket on a biscuit at Derek Allan’s BBQ in Fort Worth is a sight to behold. (Photo via Derek Allan’s BBQ)—

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Derek Allan’s BBQ in Fort Worth is serving up great barbecue but special props are reserved for the Wagyu brisket on a biscuit, reports Daniel Vaughn of Texas Monthly. The Derek Allan’s crew uses Japanese black Wagyu for all their briskets, beef ribs, and beef sausage. The brisket biscuit sandwich is topped with chimichurri, pickles, and onions. READ HERE

In a strange online incident, the Twitter account for Franklin Barbecue in Austin was hacked and taken over by a shady cryptocurrency account. The hack occurred on November 24 but it took until December 11 for the Franklins to get full access restored to their account. READ HERE

Phillip Foss and Akiko Moorman of El Ideas, a Michelin-starred Chicago restaurant, have converted the operation “into a smoked-meats emporium.” Foss is “loading up the Bradley smoker that he inherited when he took over the space nine years ago with cuts like a hulking and buttery beef rib” and they are calling the new venture Boxcar Barbecue. READ HERE

Being in Kansas City, the Kansas City Chiefs are expected to know a thing or two about BBQ. Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who grew up in Texas, was interviewed recently on a radio show and asked about whether Texas or KC BBQ was better. “There are certain things I feel like Texas does better, but as overall barbecue, I feel like Kansas City is hard to beat,” Mahomes said. “Every time my boys come to town, they get barbecue from different spots and they agree with me. Just the variety, the different things, the sides, the burnt ends, all that different type of stuff that Kansas City does, it’s hard to beat it.” READ HERE

Barbecue historian Robert Moss recently posted two great new articles: one of the top 10 colleges in the South based on proximity to BBQ joints (you'll easily guess the No. 1 on the list) and the history of “comeback sauce." Both are worth a read.
 

ADDITIONAL READS

Allentown, PA’s landmark Ritz Barbecue restaurant, which closed in the spring, is tentatively set to reopen under new ownership in 2021

Myron Mixon is bringing his award-winning Pitmaster BBQ restaurant to Miami

New San Antonio BBQ joint Burnt Bean Co. being opened by champion BBQ competition Ernest Servantes 

Kevin’s BBQ Joints rounds up 10 full-length interviews with talented pit builders

Vegan barbecue restaurant Grass VBQ has just opened in Atlanta

Las Vegas-based L2 Texas BBQ, from parent company Texas Meltz, will open soon with an expansive menu

Here’s how How a Chinese barbecue master has been roasting whole pigs in Toronto for 30 years

The team behind several popular local Atlanta restaurants are venturing into barbecue with the newly-opened Ford’s BBQ in Tucker

—Lisa from Telehue Food stops by Harp Barbecue in Kansas City in her latest video.—

WATCH

My Favorite Barbecue in Kansas City — Telehue Food

In this new video from Lisa Nguyen, aka Telehue Food, she takes a trip to Harp Barbecue and Crane Brewing Co in Kansas City, Missouri. She decided at the last minute to film her experience and it pays off. She met up with Tyler Harp and his crew for good barbecue and conversation, then grabbed some tasty brews from Crane Brewing Co. WATCH HERE
 

LISTEN

3-Year Anniversary and Robert Wuhl Interview — Baseball and BBQ Podcast

In the newest episode of the Baseball and BBQ podcast, hosts Len Aberman and Jeff Cohen celebrate their third year of podcasting about baseball and barbecue. This episode includes congratulatory voicemails from Sean Ludwig and Ryan Cooper of The Smoke Sheet, Greg Rempe of The BBQ Central Show, plus other special guests. Plus, check out their interview with actor and writer Robert Wuhl, who starred in TV shows and movies like Arli$$, Bill Durham, Batman, and Good Morning, Vietnam. LISTEN HERE
 

READ

Home Style Cookery: A Home Cookbook — Matty Matheson

In Home Style Cookery, Matty Matheson returns with 135 of his absolute favorite recipes to cook at home for his family and friends, so you can cook them for the people you love. This is his definitive guide to mastering your kitchen, covering everything from pantry staples (breads, stocks, and pickles) to party favorites (dips, fried foods, and grilled meats), to weeknight go-to’s (stews, pastas, salads), and special occasion show-stoppers (roasts, smoked meats, and desserts). Along with beautiful photographs of Matty’s dishes and his farm, this book is filled with signature recipes that are equal parts approachable and tasty. BUY IT HERE

—This prime rib roast is sure to impress your family this holiday.—
 

Smoked Prime Rib Roast

By Eddie Jackson

Fire up the smoker, because this Smoked Prime Rib Roast recipe by Chef Eddie Jackson of Beef Loving Texans is a holiday game-changer. His secret ingredient? A delicious crust that acts as an insulator in the smoker.

—Many of the largest barbecue events of 2020 have been canceled or postponed.—

In light of the constantly changing coronavirus crisis, we are leaving our events section blank for some time. Many events in 2020 have been canceled or postponed thus far. We’ll be updating our events section on our website with the most up-to-date information as we have it.

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