3 Michigan meat cutters are one step closer to winning $25K in Texas Roadhouse challenge

Nour Rahal, Detroit Free Press
·4 min read

Music blasted over the clatter of knives and thuds of meat at the Big Boy Arena in Fraser, as 35 professional meat cutters from Michigan, Indiana and Ohio participated in the annual Qualifying Meat Cutter Competition to determine who has the sharpest skills in the Midwest.

Three of the top four performers advancing to the semifinals — and edging closer to the $25,000 grand prize — are from Michigan: Jozef Szymanski of Ann Arbor, Jose Martinez of Westland and Dean Sturgill of Madison Heights. The fourth qualifier, Juan Roblero, hails from Dyer, Indiana.

Kelvin Riker, 33, of Saginaw, is a managing partner and works as a scale judge during the first round of the Texas Roadhouse Qualifier meat cutting challenge at Big Boy Arena in Fraser, Mich. on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023.
Kelvin Riker, 33, of Saginaw, is a managing partner and works as a scale judge during the first round of the Texas Roadhouse Qualifier meat cutting challenge at Big Boy Arena in Fraser, Mich. on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023.

The challenge brings meat cutters together — who typically work in solitude, cutting meat in a cooler for 10-12 hours a day — however, it also means more eyes are on them, which can be nerve-wracking.

"Usually, nobody's watching you, you're working by yourself, you listen to your music and do what you need to do," said 52-year-old competitor Enrique Alvarez of Sterling Heights. "That's probably the reason why we have some nerves (during the event). But once you get over people watching you, you start to have fun with it."

Created in 2001 by Texas Roadhouse

The National Meat Cutting Challenge is part of the Texas Roadhouse Meat Hero program, established in 2001 to honor the dedicated work of Texas Roadhouse meat cutters, according to the franchise.

Thirty professional meat- cutters from across Michigan and Indiana compete on the ice in the first round of the Texas Roadhouse Qualifier meat cutting challenge at Big Boy Arena in Fraser, Mich. on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023.
Thirty professional meat- cutters from across Michigan and Indiana compete on the ice in the first round of the Texas Roadhouse Qualifier meat cutting challenge at Big Boy Arena in Fraser, Mich. on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023.

In the qualifying round on Tuesday, participants were allotted one hour to hand-cut 30-40 pounds of beef, including one sirloin, one filet and one ribeye. Performance was evaluated based on quality, yield and speed. The objective was to produce the highest quality cuts and yield the most steaks in the least amount of time.

"This is what our cutters do every single day in their restaurant," said Texas Roadhouse product coach David Esch. They stand in a low 30-degree cooler, "and they cut all of these steaks by hand every single day. ... All of these cutters probably cut between 40 and 60 hours a week."

Product Coach David Esch, 43, of Clinton Twp goes over why certain cuts of meat that were disqualified with each meatcutter after the first round of the Texas Roadhouse Qualifier meat cutting challenge at Big Boy Arena in Fraser, Mich. on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023.
Product Coach David Esch, 43, of Clinton Twp goes over why certain cuts of meat that were disqualified with each meatcutter after the first round of the Texas Roadhouse Qualifier meat cutting challenge at Big Boy Arena in Fraser, Mich. on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023.

Every Texas Roadhouse in Michigan was represented during the qualifying challenge.

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Veteran meat cutters return to compete

One of the four winners, Martinez, 45, is a master meat cutter with more than 11 years under his belt. He has participated in the challenge for nine years and reached the final round twice. He said it feels "amazing" to advance to the next round, but he still gets nervous every year.

"It's so nice to make it there, to be with the best meat cutters in the company, but it's also really hard. It's a lot of pressure," Martinez said. "We'll see this year if it is possible to make it to the finals again."

Jose Martinez, from Westland, competes along with 29 professional meat cutters from across Michigan and Indiana in the first round of the Texas Roadhouse Qualifier meat cutting challenge on the ice rink at Big Boy Arena in Fraser, Mich. on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. Martinez qualified to continue on to the regional competition, which leads to the finals and a chance to win $25,000.

During the semifinals in January 2024, 25 meat-cutters will compete again for a spot in the final round — the national competition — which will take place in March 2024. The ultimate winner will be awarded the $25,000 and the prestigious title of "Meat Cutter of the Year."

If he wins, Martinez plans to allocate the grand prize toward his daughter's college fund, he added.

While 47-year-old Michael Bryan, a seasoned meat cutter from Saginaw, didn't secure a qualification this year or the last, he said he likes the challenge and finds genuine enjoyment in his profession.

"I've been cutting meat for 12 years, but I've been doing it for Texas Roadhouse for two years," Bryan said. "I've had a lot worse jobs, so for them to pay me to come do this, I think it's amazing."

Rose Bertrand, 50, of Saginaw cheers on her husband Michael Bryan as he competes with 29 other professional meat cutters from across Michigan and Indiana in the first round of the Texas Roadhouse Qualifier meat cutting challenge at Big Boy Arena in Fraser, Mich. on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023.
Rose Bertrand, 50, of Saginaw cheers on her husband Michael Bryan as he competes with 29 other professional meat cutters from across Michigan and Indiana in the first round of the Texas Roadhouse Qualifier meat cutting challenge at Big Boy Arena in Fraser, Mich. on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023.

His wife, Rose Bertrand, stood close by, enthusiastically cheering him on with pom-poms and a sizable poster adorned with signatures from friends and colleagues, as he expertly worked through the meat.

Following the qualification challenge, judges prepared and served the participants a portion of the meat cut during the event. The remaining product was returned to Texas Roadhouse restaurants.

Trays of cut meat are transported to the locker room to be judged during the first round of the Texas Roadhouse Qualifier meat cutting challenge at Big Boy Arena in Fraser, Mich. on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023.
Trays of cut meat are transported to the locker room to be judged during the first round of the Texas Roadhouse Qualifier meat cutting challenge at Big Boy Arena in Fraser, Mich. on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023.

"A lot of hard work goes into the position of a meat cutter," said Travis White, a Texas Roadhouse manager in Westland. "It's nice to see them come here and be able to be rewarded for their good work, and then have a chance to win it all."

Contact Nour Rahal: nrahal@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 3 Michiganders qualify for the Texas Roadhouse meat cutting challenge