FRASER, Mich. – Local 4's Kim DeGiulio visited Fraser on Tuesday for an epic competition that featured the best butchers from across the country, an ice rink and a $20,000 prize.
Before the competition began, each butcher got to pick the slab of meat they wanted to cut.
What makes a good meat cutter? Why is it so important? Well, it's all about the money.
"If you've got a good butcher that cuts steaks that are the proper (shape), they're going to cook the right way, and also, they'll get more steaks out of every single loin," meat cutting judge Dave Esch said.
That can save a restaurant thousands of dollars a week, so finding the best butchers is important.
Once the meat is selected, butchers have 60 minutes to cut the three different types of steak.
"You have to be pretty precise," meat cutter Ian Tolentino said.
They each used their own tools so they would be comfortable.
"Knives that you're used to -- lengths, widths, weights," meat cutter Isaiah Nagurski said.
Once the butchers are done cutting, the filets are taken into a room full of judges.
Five contestants will move on to the next level. They could eventually win $20,000 in the competition.
You can watch Kim DeDiulio's full story in the video posted above.