During the challenge, each participant will receive 20 to 30 pounds of beef — consisting of one sirloin, one filet and one ribeye to cut.
Participants will be judged on the quality and yield in this timed competition. The winner is the cutter who yields the most steaks with the highest quality.
This is not the first time Henning has participated in a meat cutting competition. He said in previous years he didn’t make it past the first round.
“I know I can do it,” Henning said. “I feel like anyone could probably win it — any of the meat cutters that are going — because they all are going to be very talented. It just kind of depends on the day if you’re locked in.”
Henning, who is a 2007 Troy High School graduate, went on to study accounting at Wright State University.
“I was going to Wright State University and I started working at Roadhouse as a busser,” Henning said. “I did bussing through college until I finished my degree in accounting.”
Henning graduated in 2012 during a “mini recession” where a lot places weren’t hiring. He ended up working his way into the kitchen at Texas Roadhouse and transitioned into the meat room, where he has been over 10 years.
“You have to hold yourself to a high level of integrity — making sure every steak is a good quality steak for all the guests that come in," Henning said. “I like challenging myself because it’s a very skill based job. It takes a long time to get good at. You can always do better.”
At Texas Roadhouse, Henning is responsible for hand-cutting steaks served at the restaurant. In an average year, a meat cutter cuts about $1 million worth of meat and spends seven to eight hours a day in a 35-degree walk-in cooler.
“There’s always something you can learn from watching someone else,” Henning said. “Even now, I recently had a guy show me some new stuff with a sirloin.”
The final round of the challenge will be held in March with the winner being named “Meat Cutter of the Year” and receiving a grand prize of $25,000.
If Henning wins, he said he would use the money to pay bills and if he had any left over, he would invest it.
“It’s a pretty cool opportunity that Texas Roadhouse does to show some love to the meat cutters,” Henning said. “They put this all together to not only show appreciation to the meat cutters, but give us the chance for the recognition.”
MORE DETAILS
The second round of the Qualifier Meat Cutting Challenge starts at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15 at OhioHealth Chiller Easton, located at 3600 Chiller Lane in Columbus.
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