Texas Roadhouse Butcher Advances in Competition

The butcher from Texas Roadhouse in Menifee placed second in the first round of Texas Roadhouse's National Meat Cutting Challenge Oct. 15 in Phoenix, advancing to the next round in Orlando, Florida in March.

Ascencion Sanchez is responsible for hand cutting every steak served at the Menifee Texas Roadhouse restaurant. In an average year, he cuts about $1 million worth of meat and spends seven to eight hours a day cutting meat in a 35-degree walk-in cooler, according to a news release.

Sanchez competed against 10 other meat cutters on an ice rink in Arizona, where the meat was kept nice and cold. Each participant received 30-40 pounds of beef, consisting of two sirloins, one filet and one ribeye to cut. They were judged on quality, yield and speed in the competition.

The semifinals and finals will be held during the March event in Florida. The winner will receive a grand prize of $20,000 and is crowned Meat Cutter of the Year.

Menifee's Texas Roadhouse is located at 29860 Haun Road.