NC pitmaster won the praise of top Texas BBQ writer. Now he’ll compete on Food Network.
Chris Prieto doesn’t know what you mean by “Texas-style” brisket.
The owner of Knightdale’s Prime BBQ and born and bred Texan said geography has little to do with cooking a brisket.
“I’m the one who grew up in Texas and I don’t know what you’re trying to tell me when you say ‘Texas-style,’” Prieto said. “Barbecue is an experience. I don’t believe in borders in barbecue anymore.”
Years in the making, Prime BBQ opened 13 months ago at the height of uncertainty in the COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurant built with artisan communal tables, sliced-while-you-watch meat stations and gleaming subway tiled-walls started out by serving its barbecue in to-go boxes.
But over the year, Prime BBQ steadily emerged into a version of the restaurant Prieto had dreamed about forever, often ending the day with a sold out sign at the door.
A blessing from a barbecue master
This spring, Texas Monthly Barbecue Editor Daniel Vaughn embarked on a tour of notable North Carolina barbecue joints, including Grady’s Barbecue and Wilber’s, Sam Jones BBQ and Prime BBQ. Vaughn authors the nationally influential list of the 100 best barbecue restaurants in Texas and recently wrote a book on whole hog barbecue with North Carolina legend Sam Jones.
Prieto said he didn’t know Vaughn was stopping by until he saw him standing in line.
“I looked over and said, ‘Hey Daniel Vaughn,’” Prieto said. “We definitely know who he is. I love the way he eats and writes about barbecue. It’s all about what he doesn’t say. He never speaks badly of people.”
Vaughn chronicled his North Carolina barbecue experience in a Texas Monthly article headlined “North Carolina Pitmasters are Spreading the Gospel of Texas Brisket, With Mixed Results.” Prime fell on the favorable side of that mix.
“To this Texan, the barbecue trays served up at Prime Barbecue looked mighty familiar,” Vaughn wrote.. “A slice of brisket was nestled next to a house-made sausage link with a couple spareribs on top.”
The review described pork spare ribs as rich and juicy and called a pastrami sandwich special a “masterpiece.”
The blessing from the top of Texas barbecue brought a measure of validation, Prieto said, but not enough to exhale and relax.
“It’s a great nod to what we’ve achieved and done so far, but my biggest goal is always our next goal,” said Prieto, adding that the next goal is being part of a resurgence in downtown Knightdale.
“We want to be part of a rising tide for Knightdale. When the story came out, the first thing I did was gather the team and talk about why we do this. The validation comes to the team. This isn’t personal accreditation.”
‘BBQ Brawl’
The next thing for Prieto is once again stepping out on the national stage.
Prieto has numerous television appearances under his belt, including a 2018 run on Food Network’s “Chopped Grill Masters,” where he was stunned to be eliminated in the second round.
Now Prieto will appear on a reboot of Food Network’s “BBQ Brawl,” starring Iron Chefs Michael Symon, Bobby Flay and Food Network’s Eddie Jackson. The three chefs will draft teams of national barbecue up-and-comers to compete in something of a smoked meats version of “The Voice,” tackling various cooking challenges over a 10-episode run.
“These are OGs, they’ve lived through it and stood the test of time,” Prieto said of Symon and Flay as Iron Chefs. “To take an existing show and make it new the way they did, I’m super excited about it. I think people are going to lose their minds.”
Prieto said filming took place in February on a hyper-quarantined ranch in Texas. The first episode, a 90-minute special, airs Monday, June 14 at 9 p.m. on the Food Network. Team captains will draft their teams in that first episode based on how the cooks perform in the first challenge.
After appearing on “Chopped” three years ago, Prieto said he hasn’t exactly put the past behind him, but that the disappointing result prepared him for this moment.
“I just knew going in that anything could happen,” Prieto said. “I don’t go there to lose.”
Chapel Hill chef on ‘Chopped’
It will be a big week for Triangle chefs in the national spotlight. On Tuesday, June 15, Chapel Hill chef Dan Jackson of Osteria Georgi will compete on Food Network’s “Chopped.” The episode airs at 9 p.m.
Jackson has worked in some of the world’s best kitchens, including a stint at Eleven Madison Park in New York City. The Chapel Hill native returned home last year during the pandemic to help open Italian trattoria Osteria Georgi, the latest restaurant from Triangle restaurateur Giorgios Bakatsias.
A watch party will be held at the Casual Pint, at 201 S. Elliott Road, Suite 51 in Chapel Hill, next door to Osteria Georgi.
This story was originally published June 9, 2021 at 9:00 AM.
