“Chopped” is a Food Network show where four chefs compete in a race against time to make a three-course meal. The latest episode aired Tuesday night and featured an all-Indigenous lineup — and a Navajo chef took the honors.
From Montana to Chicago, Indian Country’s top cooks vied for the “Chopped” title, but two of them repped the Southwest — including chef Ray Naranjo, who comes from the Santa Clara Pueblo just north of Santa Fe.
Host Ted Allen announced that Diné chef Justin Pioche was their latest TV cooking show champion after besting Mariah Blackstone, who is Blackfeet and Cherokee, in the final dessert round.
“It feels really good,” said Pioche, when asked by Allen while on-air. “I just won 'Chopped,' and I feel really ecstatic, and I can't believe that I really pulled through. I had some really tough competition.”
Pioche lives in Fruitland, New Mexico, near the Navajo Nation.
The 2023 James Beard finalist for Best Chef in the Southwest co-owns Pioche Food Group, a high-end catering company that also operates a food truck. He plans on using the $10,000 cash prize to help pay for his own brick-and-mortar restaurant.
This episode marks the first Indigenous-themed contest in show history.
Now, in its 64th season, “Chopped” has been around since 2009. Contestants leaned upon their newfound national platform to spotlight topics, like food sovereignty, health and nutrition.
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