Slope Chef Enters America’s Ultimate Cheeseburger Contest

With May marking National Hamburger Month, Sargento Foods Inc. has given chefs from Chicago, Miami, Milwaukee, New York, and San Diego a challenge, with a side of Sargento cheese.

Representing the Big Apple and Brooklyn were Ed Tretter and Jeff Maslanka, co-owners of three restaurants: 67 Burger in Fort Greene and Park Slope, and Black Shack Burger in Manhattan.

When Tretter and Chef Maslanka, who had gained national attention through from Zagat reviews, were contacted to enter the contest, Maslanka perfected the recipe for his Pastrami Spiced Swiss Burger. Topping it off with 2 slices of Sargento Deli Style Sliced Swiss Cheese.

The concept behind his cheeseburger was inspired by Sargento’s challenge to pin-point “America’s Ultimate Cheeseburger” and “celebrate your love affair with a classic.”

“We are very flattered to represent NYC and wanted to do something indigenous.” said Tretter. “When you think New York, you think deli, and then you think pastrami.”

The Pastrami Spiced Swiss Burger is also offered with chicken, Tretter said, referring to it as “killer.”

Maslanka’s Pastrami Spiced Swiss Burger is currently lagging behind the Filling Station Cheeseburger of Miami, FL, and the 17 Percent Cheeseburger of Milwaukee, WI.

So if you love pastrami and burgers and cheese, vote for your favorite recipe at the Sargento Facebook page.

According to Sargento’s survey through Kelton Research, of 1,236 people, among natural cheese lovers, 3 out of 4 Americans, exactly 82 percent agree cheese enhances the taste of a burger and more than three in four Americans cant imagine eating just a plain hamburger.

Meanwhile, 44 percent of Americans listed cheddar as their favorite cheese for their burger, and more than half of burger-lovers would agree to a trade off, fries, for cheese on their burger.