WITNESS-Tackling a 72-oz steak in Texas
Source: Reuters
By Ed Stoddard AMARILLO, Texas, March 4 (Reuters) - Intrigued by the possible consequences of the task ahead -- consuming 72 ounces (2.04 kg) of red meat in one go -- I sought advice from my brother-in-law, a South African doctor. "Your cholesterol level will shoot through the roof and you'll probably get gout. Humans are just not built to eat that much meat at once," was his response. With this in mind, I entered the Big Texan Steak Ranch, home of the free 72-oz steak -- free, that is, if you can eat it all in one hour, plus the trimmings: baked potato, bread roll, side salad and shrimp cocktail. If you don't finish it the cost is $72. Located in Amarillo in Texas panhandle cattle country, the restaurant has grown into a cultural landmark emblematic of the state's claim to "bigness" in all things. It is also perhaps testimony to America's reputation for gluttony and obesity, though it predates the "Super-Size Me" culture of the fast food industry. The competition goes back to the early 1960s when legend has it that a cowboy swaggered in saying he was so hungry he could "eat the whole, darned cow." He went through 4-1/2 pounds of beef before quitting, prompting Big Texan founder R.J. Bob Lee to offer that much meat for free to anyone who could consume it in one sitting. TRAINING BY EATING The rules are straightforward: once you tuck in you don't leave. Vomiting disqualifies you. Competitors are placed at a raised table in front of the grill. A clock behind you ticks away the hour. On the day I tried, another customer had ordered his 72-ouncer about 20 minutes ahead of me. Dan, 22, was an affable Texan who said he weighed 230 pounds (104 kg). In town with his band, he had "trained" by eating double and triple burgers four or five times a day. "I think I'm ready to go. I've been eating outrageously the last two weeks," he told me. When I took my seat next to Dan, the chef called out to me: "Is this your steak?" and pointed to a giant slab of meat. He then made the sign of the cross and got on bended knee. When the waitress places the steak before you, she goes over the rules and allows one "free" bite to see if it is cooked to your liking. You also sign a form saying you don't mind having your picture taken. She then announces your name and you get down to business. SIZE DOESN'T MATTER A 72-oz steak, by the way, fills a platter. At about 4,500 calories with all the trimmings, it represents around twice the daily calorie intake of the average American. It contains no bone, fat or gristle. It is actually a fine piece of sirloin cut especially for this affair. And it is an odd affair. Perfect strangers came up and filmed or photographed me and my steak. More than one asked my name and narrated the saga of my meal while filming. The stuffed heads of many animals -- bison, moose, and bear among others -- stared down at me from the walls. I should point out that I am a physically active, outdoorsy person with 185 pounds (84 kg) on my 5 foot 8 inch (1.72 m) frame. My appetite has never been poor but I knew from the outset I had met my match. Yet to my astonishment, I put away 40 ounces (1.1 kg) of the beast (they weigh what is left) plus the extras. I stopped when I was full but felt fine. Poor Dan, by contrast, turned every shade of red as he battled to eat through his steak. In the end he almost got ill, ate less meat than I did, and barely touched his side dishes. The smallest person to complete the task was a 100-pound (45-kg) girl of 17, according to manager Ruby Barrett. "America is very competitive. It's not something everyone can do," said Barrett. Indeed not. The restaurant does not exactly know how many people have tried to eat the steak over the years and estimates vary, with one in 10 succeeding a commonly cited ratio. About 8,300 people have finished the meal within the hour.
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