Meet Misty Banchero, a PNW-based barbecue enthusiast, social media influencer and wife to a Seattle butcher.

I set off on social media to support my husband’s fourth-generation USDA meat processing company, Mondo & Sons in 2019. At that time, I had no idea I would quickly become interested in learning to grill. As I began to watch pitmaster and chef videos, I realized I could do what they were doing if I just gave it some effort. So many people in the social media BBQ community supported me and helped me along the way, and now I am addicted! I simply can’t get enough of grilling. It feels like a brand new journey each time I step outside and light the grill.

Why do I grill? There are three main things that drive me.

1. Family gatherings. I conveniently live next door to my brother-in-law, sister-in-law and their three kids. In the next house over are my in-laws and another brother-in-law. All of our three houses are side by side in Seattle, Wash. So, when I light up the grill and they see or smell the smoke, it pulls the family together to see what the excitement is about. We end up doing Sunday lunches off the grill all summer. It makes me happy to see the family interacting and enjoying great food together. I love to be the reason for the gathering and cherish these moments.
2. Learning to grill. I don’t know if I will ever consider myself an expert. As soon as I learn one grilling skill, I can’t wait to move onto the next. I have a desire to master all the techniques out there: grilling, pellet smokers, kamado, open fire, offset smokers, griddles, gas and more. I leverage experts in their fields to learn tips and tricks. I search methods and test different grilling ideas until I find what works for me. I love finding new approaches and bringing new ideas to the table and sharing them. One of the things I love as I am learning is to take others along on the journey, specifically women. I once was that girl who was afraid to touch her husband’s grill. Now I don’t think he even uses his anymore. You can accomplish anything you put your mind to.
3. Community is all the fun! Being the socialite and networker that I am, I love interacting with others in the BBQ community. I love sharing my learning process, especially when I land on a great recipe to share or when I have a tip that may help others. Every day, I am interacting with BBQ lovers/grillers and chefs across the country and beyond via social media. I especially love the opportunity to get together and grill when it’s possible. I have learned so much by connecting with others that share the same passion.

Not a day goes by that I am not thinking about what to create on the grill next. I have a wish list for my butcher husband every day. I am enthusiastic about sharing what I am learning and presenting my cooks in a way that feels approachable yet compelling. My next steps will be to set up a website so my friends can find my recipes easily and where I can show more technique videos. I have a personal mission to influence more women to get into grilling. Stay tuned and follow me on @seattlebutcherswife on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.

Try Misty’s Grilled Turkey recipe.