What do you get when you combine an ice rink, Texas Roadhouse meat cutters and $25,000? You get one crazy competition.

On Nov. 7, 16 professional meat-cutters from across the region, including two from Foley and one from Mobile, will compete in a head-to-head competition. The first round of the Qualifier Meat Cutting Challenge is being held at the Pelham Civic Ice Center in Pelham.

The competitors from the Alabama Gulf Coast are Jordan Patsch and Caleb Underwood of Foley and Daryle Watkins of Mobile. The competitors will each receive 30-40 pounds of beef consisting of one sirloin, filet and ribeye. The meat cutters will be judged on the quality, yield and speed in the timed cut-off. The winner is the competitor who yields the most steaks with the highest quality cut in the least amount of time. To assure the best, freshest quality meat, all cutting is done at a bone-chilling 38 degrees, which explains the competition location.

"Meat-cutting is truly a lost art," Texas Roadhouse Product Coach Kody Wyrick said in a press release. "Our annual competition celebrates the success of our professional meat cutters. Our meat-cutting challenges are one way we show appreciation and reward their hard work and dedication to cutting perfect steaks for our guests."

The top-scoring competitors in each region will advance to the semi-finals where they will compete for a spot in the 2024 national competition. The semi-finals and final competitions will be held in March. The winner of the national competition received a grand prize of $25,000 and crowned Meat Cutter of the Year.

Participating Meat-Cutters
1. Drake Spears – Florence
2. Latnette Dulaney – Florence
3. Christopher Byrd – Decatur
4. Ricardo Lopez – Huntsville

5. Rodney Cole – Oxford
6. David Vasquez – Oxford
7. Quinton Washington – Montgomery
8. Kristina Guggenberger – Tuscaloosa
9. Tiffany Corey – Milton, Fla.
10. William Eddins – Milton, Fla.
11. Sheldon Douglas – Dothan
12. Robert Ford – Dothan
13. Daryl Watkins – Mobile
14. Fanny Castro – Pelham
15. Jordan Patsch – Foley
16. Caleb Underwood – Foley

Texas Roadhouse meat-cutters are responsible for hand-cutting every steak served at their local Texas Roadhouse. In an average year, they cut approximately $1 million worth of meat and spend seven to eight hours a day cutting meat in the 35-degree walk-in cooler.

The National Meat Cutting Challenge is part of the Meat Hero program which recognizes the daily efforts of Texas Roadhouse meat–cutters.