If you were programming ESPN’s The Ocho — the annual “Dodgeball”-inspired block of programming that showcases somewhat obscure, rarely televised sporting events — you could do worse than Texas Roadhouse’s National Meat Cutting Challenge.
The event pits Texas Roadhouse meat cutters from across the country against each other in a timed butchery skills showcase. The second round of the Qualifier Meat Cutting Challenge will take place on Jan. 16 in Dallas, and two Minnesotans have made the cut.
Justino Sanchez of Coon Rapids and Dan Willeck of Duluth will take on 24 other professional butchers who advanced through regional competitions across eight central U.S. states, attempting to qualify for the finals in March.
Each competitor is given 20-30 pounds of beef from which they must carve out a sirloin, filet, and ribeye. They’ll be stationed on an ice rink to simulate the 35-degree cooler where they each cut up an average of $1 million worth of meat annually for their restaurant…