After a citywide search to find the best firefighter cooks in New York, The Daily News chose the top chefs from each borough to go head to head in Rachael's kitchen for the title of 5-Alarm Cookoff champion! Check out all of their recipes here!

Meet the contestants:

Manhattan:
"There was no doubt I was going to make it to the finals," grins Steve Brunner from Ladder 36 in Manhattan. Steve's signature dish is Pan-Seared Shrimp and Scallop Asian Spring Rolls. "It's light, quick and easy, and inexpensive, so it's perfect for the firehouse," he explains. "Once it's made, you can grab it with one hand and slide down the pole with the other!"

Staten Island:
Sal DePaeola of Engine 160 in Staten Island is showing off his specialty, Chipotle Jambalaya. "The main ingredients are the peppers, the onions, the garlic - the holy trinity," Sal reveals. "I probably make this about three or four times a month, and never get any complaints. I think the judges are going to like it; I don't see how they can't!"

The Bronx:
Jimmy Lowe from Rescue 3 is bringing his Stuffed Flank Steak Pinwheel with Vidalia Onion Rings to the table. "I'm hoping that the judges will see by the way that it's plated that it's a really good-looking meal," Jimmy says. "And once they taste it they'll be knocked off their seats!"

Brooklyn:
For John Sierp from Ladder 169 of Brooklyn, his hopes of winning rest on his Caribbean-Style Pork Meatloaf. "Something like a meatloaf is perfect," he says. "You can form it together, throw it in the oven, and God forbid we have to run out, we run out ... and the next day it's even better - sandwiches!"

Queens:
Big Keith Young from Ladder 158 in Queens is throwing down with his Jumbo Shrimp a la Terra Diablo. "The guys in the firehouse love this dish so much because it's different; it's something you'd get in a restaurant," he explains. "Appealing to the eye, and something unique!"

Since the men have already been chosen as the top chefs from their respective boroughs, Rachael gives them all of her cookbooks, pots and pans, cookware, moppines, knives, utensils ... everything they need to outfit their firehouse kitchens. But there can be only one 5-Alarm Cookoff champ, so Rachael brings in the big guns to make the final call: chefs Michael Symon, Chris Santos and Sunny Anderson. After careful (and delicious!) deliberation, the New York Daily News 5-Alarm Cookoff winner is ... Sal from Staten Island! His prize: a completely macked-out firehouse kitchen with all new appliances courtesy of Best Buy and The Daily News.

Related Links

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