Why Does It Matter That Texas Roadhouse Steaks Are 'Hand-Cut'?

Texas Roadhouse is serious about their steaks. The company hosts an annual steak cutting competition to motivate and encourage their team of in-house butchers, and competition is fierce as contestants battle for prize money. While some restaurants use machines to prepare pieces of steak for cooking, the butchers at Texas Roadhouse have turned meat-cutting into an art form. Hand-cut steaks offer a different kind of texture than pieces that have been sliced by equipment, as hand-cutting meat results in pieces that are ready for the fire, translating into more mouthwatering dishes for restaurant visitors. 

Steaks are cut with measured precision, as the thickness and texture of each piece is taken into consideration as the butchers keep the final result in mind: a tender, juicy dish that is made to order. When pieces are sliced by hand, focused attention is directed toward the structure of each piece, taking into consideration the make of the individual cuts of meat while adjusting each slice to account for anatomical deviations and striations of the connective tissues and muscles of each animal. 

The texture of a steak can be altered by not only the cooking process, but also by the way the pieces are handled and prepared before any flames are involved. While dishes made with mince — like burgers — can get by with machine-prepared pieces of meat, steaks that are but by hand are better suited for dishes in which the texture and presentation of the steak are front and center. A Texas Roadhouse spokesperson said that steaks lose moisture when cut by machines due to the friction imposed on the meat when machines start slicing.

Not only are Texas Roadhouse diners treated to these carefully regarded steaks, but visitors to the restaurants can also choose their own pieces of meat for chefs to cook up to specified levels of doneness. For those eager to try to replicate some of the flavors at home, the team offers cooking tips and recipes to try so you can dress up the hand-cut steaks you pick up from your local butcher and put together a delicious meal for yourself in the comfort of your kitchen.