Mar 7, 2008 6:02 AM, PROMO Xtra

A recipe contest featured on the Food Network cable channel and sponsored by T.G.I. Friday’s has produced its latest category winner, a chipotle grilled steak sandwich.

The winning entrant? A manager of a Long Island Chili’s Grill & bar restaurant, one of Friday’s rivals in the casual dining industry.

Ivan Aviles’ steak sandwich was judged the best entry in the comfort food category of the Food Network’s “Ultimate Recipe Showdown.” As the winner, it earned the right to be featured on menus at T.G.I. Friday’s 600 U.S. restaurants.

The six-week “Ultimate Recipe Showdown” program features 54 finalist recipes pared down from thousands of submissions in six categories: burgers, chicken, comfort food, pasta, cakes and cookies. On the weekly show, nine chefs compete in front of a live audience and an expert panel to prepare the best version of their submitted original recipe.

One of the hosts of “Ultimate Recipe Showdown”, Guy Fieri, is also prominently featured as a celebrity in the current flight of commercials for Carrollton, TX-based T.G.I. Friday’s.

Aviles, who manages a Chili’s in Holtsville, NY, won last Sunday with a combination of grilled skirt steak rubbed with Cajun spices, Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses, roasted plantain slices and chipotle mayo.

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