Mack Sevier

Last updated
Mack Sevier
BornJune 24, 1944
DiedJune 1, 2015(2015-06-01) (aged 70)
Occupation(s)Pitmaster and restaurateur
Known forOpening Uncle John's BBQ
SpouseShirley Sevier

Mack Sevier (1944-2015) was an American pitmaster and restaurateur known for opening Uncle John's BBQ and being pitmaster of Barbara Ann's Bar-B-Que. [1]

Contents

Biography

Mack Sevier was born on June 24, 1944 in Augusta, Arkansas. His mother was a restaurant cook, and he had four brothers and a sister. After graduating high school, Sevier moved to St. Louis, Missouri but he decided to move north, eventually going to Chicago in the early 1960s. He worked as a meatpacker at a meatpacking factory in Chicago for almost a decade and opened his own butcher shop, Honda Poultry & Meats, in 1971. He also practiced backyard barbecuing as a passion. [2]

He supplied meats to many famous South Side restaurants, including Harold's Chicken Shack and Mumbo Bar-B-Que. In the late 1980s, Sevier decided to quit the butcher business and become an apprentice pitmaster. [2]

Sevier first worked as pitmaster at Barbara Ann's Bar-B-Que, before leaving to open Uncle John's BBQ. [3] Sevier is known for his trademark use of the aquarium smoker, a staple of Chicago barbecue. [1] His preparation of rib tips and hot links, the latter of which were made with a proprietary recipe, became famous. [3] [2]

Sevier was regarded as one of the best pitmasters in Chicago. Kevin Pang of Chicago Tribune called Sevier "the patron saint of South Side Chicago barbecue". [4] Writing for Saveur , Kevin Pang called him "Chicago's king of the hot link". [5] Hunter Owens of Saveur wrote that "If someone were to carve a Mount Rushmore of Chicago barbecue pitmasters," Sevier's face would be included. [6] Pitmaster Gary Wiviott said that Sevier was an "artist" whose "medium was fire and meat." [2] Pitmaster Garry Kennebrew, Sevier's former apprentice, later described him as "the Michael Jordan of Chicago barbecue". [6]

Sevier retired in 2013 at age 68 because of health issues, [2] including heart problems [1] and diabetes which cost him the use of his fingers. [6] After his retirement, he continued to cook for fundraisers and church picnics. [2] He died of complications including heart and kidney failure at Holy Cross Hospital on June 1, 2015. [2]

Personal life

Mack was married to Shirley Sevier for 49 years, until his death in 2015. [2] At one point, he was a deacon at his church. Mack, a "gentle hulk", stood 6'3 and weighed over 300 pounds, [6] with a reputation for a "herculean" handshake. [2] He was described as being "shaped like a defensive tackle with an ever present Kangol hat." [6]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "The new Uncle John's". Time Out. February 20, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pang, Kevin (2015-06-04). "Mack Sevier, renowned Chicago barbecue pitmaster, dies at 70". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  3. 1 2 Cox, Mike Sula, Gary Wiviott, David Hammond, Izidora Angel, Ted (2010-09-09). "Thank You for Smoking". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2024-04-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ Pang, Kevin (2015-06-17). "Uncle J's BBQ carries on the Mack Sevier legacy". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  5. ↑ Owens, Hunter (2016-08-03). "Welcome to America's Unsung Barbecue City: Chicago". Saveur. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Pang, Kevin (2018-02-08). "Chicago Is A City Divided By Barbecue". Saveur. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
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