Fraser – Thirty professional meat-cutters from around Metro Detroit and beyond won’t need skates or hockey sticks to score during Tuesday’s Qualifier Meat Cutting Challenge.
To prove they’re a cut above the competition, area butchers, from across the state will compete in the first round of the national contest. Each participant receives 30-40 pounds of beef, consisting of one sirloin, one filet and one ribeye to cut. Meat cutters are judged on quality, yield, and speed in this timed cut-off. The winner is the cutter who yields the most steaks, with the highest quality cut in the least amount of time.
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Top scoring challengers in the region will advance to the semi-finals where they’ll compete for the opportunity to participate in the 2022 national competition. The semi-finals and final competition will be held in February. The winner of the national competition receives a grand prize of $25,000 and is crowned Meat Cutter of the Year.
Each Meat Cutter is responsible for hand-cutting every steak served at their local Texas Roadhouse. In an average year, they cut about $1 million worth of meat and spend seven to eight hours a day cutting meat in the 35-degree walk-in cooler. In Metro Detroit there are seven Texas Roadhouse locations.
The National Meat Cutting Challenge is part of the Meat Hero program, created in 2001, to recognize daily efforts of Texas Roadhouse meat cutters. Meat cutters hand-cut each steak served at the restaurants. Their work is displayed in the lobby where guests are invited to choose their favorite steak.