KENOSHA, Wis. — There were no hip checks or triple axels at the Kenosha Ice Arena on Thursday, but there was plenty of slicing, pounding, and tenderizing.
Twenty-two professional meat cutters from the Midwest – including hometown favorites Elias Gutierrez and Eloy Martinez -- competed in a first-round qualifier in Kenosha for the National Meat Cutting Challenge.
Competitors carved 30 to 40 pounds of sirloin, filet, and ribeye. Judging was based on quality, yield, and speed.
To ensure the freshest quality, competitions typically take place in ice arenas.
In a stunning upset in the meat-cutting circuit, Martinez edged his Texas Roadhouse coworker Gutierrez to win the first-round qualifier.
Gutierrez, a defending national semifinalist, has competed in the event for the past 15 years.
Martinez advanced to the regional finals in January in Dallas, Texas.
“Meat-cutting is truly a lost art,” said Amanda Gutierrez, a product coach at Texas Roadhouse. “Our annual competition celebrates the success of our professional meat cutters. Our meat-cutting challenges are one way we
The national championship takes place in March with the winner pocketing $25,000 as the Meat Cutter of the Year.
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