YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Trying to prove they're a cut above the rest of the competition, professional meat-cutters hit the ice in York on Monday.
Seventeen area butchers participated in the first round of the Qualifier Meat Cutting Challenge at the York Ice Arena to prove they are the best in their craft.
Each participant received 30 to 40 pounds of beef and was judged on quality, yield and speed in the timed cut-off.
The contest, run by Texas Roadhouse, is made up entirely of employees around the state.
"The best part about it is we get to recognize the guys and gals that are in our walk-in coolers, fifty hours a week, ten hours a day, cutting anywhere from 300 to 600 pounds of meat every single day and rewarding them and recognizing them for the hard work they do," said Jeff Krackow, a market partner with Texas Roadhouse.
Today's winners were Rony Ramos from Chambersburg and Brad Stinnett from Lancaster.
Top-scoring challengers will now move on to the semi-finals, where they'll participate in the 2024 National Competition.
The semi-finals and finals will take place in March 2024.
Whoever wins the National Competition will receive a grand prize of $25,000 and be crowned meat cutter of the year.