NC grill masters to compete on new Food Network show

Each episode focuses on different barbecue styles with the winner vying for a $50,000 grand prize.

"One state cooks against another and then the winners of each tournament face off to see who is the best," he said.

Prieto will compete on the Aug. 7 episode.

A champion pitmaster and book author, Prieto also isn't a stranger to TV. He has appeared on Destination America's "BBQ Pitmasters" and done some barbecue documentaries with fellow pitmasters Sam Jones and Ed Mitchell.

"Most barbecue people stick to fire and pits," Prieto said. "I have never formally competed as a formal competition cook."

Prieto, who will open Prime Barbecue in Knightdale this fall, said he practiced a lot to prepare for the show.

"I studied a lot of recipe configurations," he said. "My little girls would sit at my kitchen table with a timer. They would time each dish."

Prieto also wrote down a list of ingredients and let his daughters select three items for him to use.

Episodes were filmed in February and in true competition fashion, chefs knew very little about what to expect.

"You are a barbecue person and a grilling expert and they put in you in a very intense kitchen and see how you react," Prieto said.

Prieto said he was picked up on a snowy New York day in an unmarked car and transported to an undisclosed building.

"You have to empty your pockets," he said noting that all he brought to cook with was four knives. "You have a short time to review your kitchen."

There is little time to get comfortable and that's the way producers want it, he said.

"They want to make you as uncomfortable as possible so you have the biggest reaction. when you get there it is really intense," he said. "You can feel the anxiety and tension in the room."

Despite the stress, Prieto said he felt confident.

"It was pretty intense but when I got here I just felt equipped for some reason," he said. "The kitchen they prepared for me was fully equipped with everything I needed."

The show's focus on creativity with ingredients is something Prieto to could relate to. "That's how I was growing up. I didn't come from a lot."

Prieto said he grew up in a Puerto Rican household where his mother taught him to be creative in the kitchen.

While Prieto can't reveal if he won his battle, he did say the show has some fun in store for the "Chopped" brand.

"There are exciting changes and this is not your average 'Chopped.' Remember these are grill masters competing against each other, so they have added elements to it to make it individualized to our show."