Eat It! Celebrating Eating Challenges: Day 2

Big Texan

72 ounces.  4 1/2 pounds.  That’s how much steak they’re challenging people to put away at The Big Texan Steak Ranch.  Isn’t that the average size of a small child’s head?  Whatever the case, that’s A LOT of steak.  And that’s not even including the sides that you ALSO have to finish.  No, to win this fete, you have to slough through, “a specially cut 72-oz. top sirloin steak, a baked potato, salad, dinner roll and shrimp cocktail.”

You know what that baked potato comes covered in?  Butter, and the failure of those who have fallen before you.  There may also be bacon bits.  I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of bacon bits.

Oh, and also?  You get an hour to do all of this.

And at $72.00, you better do all you can to finish that meal.  They actually make people put a down payment on the meal before you’re allowed to dig into your steak.  But, this hasn’t stopped over 80,000 people from driving down to Amarillo, Texas to try and tackle the “Legend of Beef.”

The Houston Chronicle has a great article from 2 years ago about the Big Texan.  Apparently the steak isn’t the only reason to visit.  “…You can’t miss it from the highway, given the presence of an enormous cow called Big Moo that’s almost as tall as the building itself…Before you can enter the dining room, guarded by a stuffed bear.”

Giant cows?  Stuffed bears?!  Souvenir Drinking Boots?! And, of course, the prerequisite gift shop!  Not that I’ll ever find myself in Amarillo, or even Texas for that matter (I think they shoot vegetarians down there), but I would NEED to go check this place out if it sounds as crazy as the descriptions on the web page.

Survivors of the challenge earn themselves a free meal, a T-shirt and enough bragging rights to shame your other meat-eating friends.  The record, according to the website, is held by Frank Pastore who finished off the entire meal in 9 minutes and 31 seconds.

A little trivia.  9 minutes and 31 seconds was also how long it took the paramedics to restart Frank Pastore’s heart after finishing the meal.