the 72 oz steak challenge

[quakerboy]

So, in case any one isn't familiar, that's a deal that various and sundry scattered steak houses have. The general parameter is that if you can eat their 72 oz steak, a baked potato, salad, and sundry in an hour, you get the meal for free, and generally your name goes up on the wall or some such.


Here's what I want to know: How the hell do they cook a 72 oz steak? Are you just stuck with rare as all get out, or are there options, and if there are, how do they cook the inside of something that thick without burning the outside, and still have it be a steak, and not a roast?


Any ideas?

[quakerboy]

1. No one?

Is it possible to have an unburnt well done 72 oz steak?

[NightWatcher]

2. couldnt you grill it slow on low coals and get it damn near well done?

reminds me of the movie The Great Outdoors with John Candy

[quakerboy]

9. That might work

Although, it might be more effective for me if I had coals.

[krispos42]

28. The ol' 96er...

Yum...

[Robb]

3. I doubt if it's more than a couple inches thick

...Just wiiiide. :)

Low and slow would do it, I'd expect. I had a big one last year, not that big, but big enough to make you eat faster than you should for fear of not finishing it.

Broke out in the meat sweats. :D

[quakerboy]

7. Heh.

We were watching some show about the Big Texan. I didnt think anything of it, mostly tuning the TV out to read. But my wife had to speak up and say "I bet you could do that". And now I am considering it.

I have been much more responsible lately, but in my younger days, I have no doubt I could have mastered one of these challenges. I ate 34 McDonalds burgers on a half hour lunch break back when they had them on sale. Several times. Ive disprooven the common "you cant drink a gallon of milk without puking" wisdom. Then again, that was in the mists of time. But part of me is tempted to do it at home, just to see if I can. My only problem is that while I enjoy rare steak, I am not down with that much of it, I think.

[yellowdogintexas]

43. you are quite correct Robb. These are some humongo slabs of meat, about 1 1/2

inches thick and about 2 feet in diameter. Big Ole Sirloins from some Big Ole Cows.

Saw one being borne to a table at Charlie's Steak House @ Fort Campbell KY and it sort of flopped over the edges of the (large) platter it was on.

A small nation could survive for a day on that thing.

[Initech]

4. I could probably take on that challenge if I have nothing to eat several hours before hand.

[JVS]

5. I thought it was supposed to be the Old 96er!

[Shell Beau]

6. I can't help but think of the Great Outdoors.

[quakerboy]

8. I dunno

The big Texan has it at 72, as does the only local Oregon place that I am aware of offering that deal. 96 seems like a lot more. 1/3 more to be precice

[JVS]

10. 96 is 6 lbs, 72 is 4.5 lbs. What would be the point of stopping short of 5?

[DS1]

13. 12*5

[JVS]

14. is 60 and 3.75lbs

:shrug:

[DS1]

30. okay, 12*6

my math fail for the night

[DS1]

11. They have a website, with the rules

You have to eat the steak, the fixin's, the 3 shrimp cocktail and I think some bread. You have x amount of time, and you're not allowed to share of course.

A friend of mine went there once, he had a story. A trucker named "Bubba" came in and asked "Is my year up yet?" You're only allowed one try per year, and they flipped through their logs and said "Yep", he pointed to his gut and said "Bring it". They brought it, he ate it.

Apparently it's also near the training area of the LA Raiders, on the linebackers ate TWO! There's also video of one competitive eater downing it in something like 15 minutes.

Here you go

http://www.bigtexan.com/free72.html

http://www.bigtexan.com/manvsvideo.html

+
The record was broken by Joey Chestnut on March 24, 2008. He ate the entire meal in 8 minutes and 52 seconds.

[Shell Beau]

20. Good God. How is that possible?

I'd be puking my guts up.

[quakerboy]

25. But how is it cooked to order?

When steaks get past about an inch, I find it very hard to get them cooked through without killing the outside.

[DS1]

32. By people who can cook steak better than the rest of us

You get to cut one piece to make sure it's cooked to your preference before you start, as seen in the video link I posted

[Ikonoklast]

38. 8 minutes and 52 seconds?? Good God!

"Tis not a man, 'tis a remorseless eating machine!"

[DS1]

41. hahah

nice

[MilesColtrane]

56. Yarrr

[vixengrl]

42. My husband could do the steak, but shrimp gives him hives.

I think I could probably do serious damage on the steak, but I'm not built the way that I'd finish the job. I'm what you'd call a "calorie conservation model"--I am big, but I eat just a bit--I lack the capacity to seriously overeat at a sitting. I favor liquid calories, not bulk. I can just about do five plates at the Chinese Buffet by me, and for a big old gal, that's pitiful. Especially since I'm sick afterwards. Maybe if I got my hernia fixed......


I can dream, right? (They make you eat bread? What--do the fixin's involve a potato? These are sick folks. I want to train just for them....)

[abq e streeter]

12. Have passed by the Big Texan many times , never stopped in though

and didn't the owner die of arterial heart disease several years ago ( not a joke; that really happened if I remember correctly)? I'm sure massive amounts of red meat had nothing to do with it..

[blogslut]

47. Which owner?

Mr or Mrs Lee? They both smoked likes stacks and drank like fish. Mr. Lee was hefty but also very tall. Mrs. Lee was tall but as big as a whale. Their oldest son Bobby Jr. runs it now, I believe. I went to college with him. Nice guy and wild as hell. All the Lee kids were wild. Fun, but wild.

[abq e streeter]

51. Not sure, just thought I remembered hearing something about this several years ago

that it was an owner of the Big Texan,and that it was arterial heart disease or something like that, and remember thinking., not surprising with massive doses of red meat. Heavy smokers and drinkers too huh? Well what the hell, sounds like they had themselves some fun. And wild, fun kids too. Cool...

[blogslut]

52. The kids were fine

Bobby Jr. cleaned up his act big time and you'll note if you watch the video on the site, he's slimmed down quite bit.

Mr. Lee Sr. was a dirty old man. Mrs. Lee was strong and bossy and accused me and my girlfriend of being drug fiends. What she didn't know was that we were buying our pot from one of her daughters. Still, that couple took nothing and turned it into something and the place still stands 49 years later.

Ah, memories.

[abq e streeter]

53. I used to drive between Albuquerque and Chicago a couple of times a year,

and no surer sign that we were back out west than The Cadillac Ranch and The Big Texan. ( and the A&W in Tucumcari)

[siligut]

15. I saw the Man vs. Food episode where Adam ate the 72 oz steak.

I think he ate several pieces of meat, not one big piece. That way it would be hot and enjoyable if one didn’t just burst open first.

[siligut]

17. I was wrong, here is a link with a picture.

http://www.bigtexan.com/free72.html It shows the 41/2 lb steak.

[quakerboy]

26. I think that was the show

that started this futile inquiry

I just realized that on top of the "how to cook it" I also have to figure out "where to get it"

[MrSlayer]

16. Real steak houses have super sear grills.

We're talking 2000 degrees. They could cook any size steak to order.

[quakerboy]

27. How does hotter make it work?

I would think that at 2k, you would burn the outside that much faster. How do you get it medium well, without turning it to char on the outside?

[Whoa_Nelly]

18. In Oregon? Thought maybe you were talking about this place...

But, you only get an hour to eat it!
http://www.bigtexan.com/free72.html


And! they have a webcam so you can watch the staek eater!
(look to left frame for link)
http://www.bigtexan.com/index.html

[quakerboy]

23. In oregon we have Saylers OCK

http://www.saylers.com/index-in.htm

The pertinant part:

*Since 1948 the 72 oz. Top Sirloin Dinner has been served free to anyone who can eat the entire steak and trimmings within one hour. Because of the extra preparation time required inour kitchen, we ask that all attempts be limited to weekdays only, before 9:00 p.m. Ask your waitress for complete details.

[Quantess]

48. Have you looked for the "hidden vagina" in Saylers' menus?

I can't believe the Beaverton Saylers went out of business. Well, yes maybe I can, because oversized fatty steak dinners are losing popularity among Portlanders.

The 72 oz steak challenge is even more disgusting when you add the baked potato, the glass of milk, and the scoop of ice cream for dessert that all must be consumed, in order for you to "win" the grotesque dinner free of charge. And no bathroom breaks, either.

When you hold up the Saylers menu folded on the outside, the person across from you should be able to identify a beef colored vagina disguised within the steak.

[SKKY]

19. Holy fuck! Someone ate the whole thing in under 9 minutes!!!

I can't get my brain around that!

[MilesColtrane]

57. Owww....my colon.

It hurts.

[jmowreader]

21. This is not within the spirit of the meal, but I wonder if they'd do it...

They're asking $72 for this meal--steak, one baked potato, one shrimp cocktail and rolls. Now, this is a STUPID amount of meat for one person to eat. In fact, it's enough meat to give a family of six a nice filling meal.

So...do you think they'd be amenable to selling you the steak and six sets of side dishes for $100 or so? I know there's a bar in Pennsylvania that does this stupid challenge with a hamburger that weighs about as much as your head, but they'll cut it into pieces and sell it to you because one of them will feed a whole Little League team and the coaches in the area seem to have figured that out.

As for how you'd cook it...generally you need to give a day's notice before you take the challenge--obviously no one keeps a steak the size of a pot roast sitting in the walk-in cooler waiting for someone to come in and get stupid. Plus, the "you must sit at the table we tell you to" means you're the evening's entertainment. I would think you'd cook the thing like it was a London broil.

[quakerboy]

24. The local place doesnt require notice

as far as I can tell. and neither does the big texan. Not sure about other locations with that deal. I think they must cut their steaks to order, so they just cut it real big if someone orders it.

How do you cook a London broil? I have to admit my meat cooking technique is mostly a matter of adding heat until I get hungry enough to feel that its done.

[jmowreader]

39. I'll tell you how I cook one...this probably isn't the official way, though

A London broil is essentially a roast masquerading as a steak. I've got a little barbecue grill. I make three lumps of charcoal. Imagine a triangle with very hot points. I put the meat right in the middle, put the lid on and leave for fifteen minutes. If you want you can flip it over halfway through if you insist on grill lines.

[AwakeAtLast]

22. Mr. AAL ate 32 oz. while on leave from Iraq

The people at the table next to us had the funniest looks on their faces, LOL!

It had been awhile since he had seen real meat. Or meat that hadn't been fried. :eyes:

[Jamastiene]

29. Dupe - delete.

[quakerboy]

33. Given my seafood allergy, those might be a sticking point

I wonder if they would do a substitution there, given the hospital bill potential there?

[Jamastiene]

36. I don't understand why they'd want to serve shrimp with steak.

Then again, I'm a meat and taters kind of girl. All the shrimp and other fancy foods just don't taste good to me unless I cook them myself at home...and not with steak.

[Jamastiene]

31. I'll tell ya, but most people would be grossed out by the way I cook steak...until they tasted it.

Place the steak in the pan. Add water to just over halfway up the thickness of the steak.

Cook over medium heat (4 and 1/2 to 5 on the dial) flipping the steak ever so often until you don't see any more blood come to the top.

Keep flipping and let it cook until the water starts to cook out. After the water cooks out, sear each side and eat.

It cooks some fairly thick steaks done all the way to the center of the meat. I would imagine it would work in those restaurants that have those contests, but I doubt they'll do that. They probably leave it bloody to make it harder to eat the whole thing. That's a lot of meat to give away free. They probably leave it bloody and chewy in the center to make you have to work for it. If they cooked it the way I like it, I could probably eat the steak, but I doubt I could eat all that shrimp and other stuff.

[quakerboy]

34. The water doesnt kill the flavor?

Boiling meat does not tend to result in the best flavor, in my experience. How do you season things?

[Jamastiene]

35. You wait until the water boils out.

In reality, you are not boiling it. You are frying it in water, if that makes any sense. AFTER the water boils out (and if you're doing it the way I do, it will), add whatever seasonings you normally add. I just salt each side lightly when I cook a steak. I don't add any other seasonings. When the water boils out, I add salt to any marbled or fatty areas and that's it. It doesn't need anything else. The flavor is just fine. It's actually juicier the way I do it.

[quakerboy]

37. Interesting. I will have to

give it a try.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

54. Not that I've eaten steak in years, but when I did, I liked it bloody as hell

Of course, I also like sushi more than cooked fish.

Apparently, if I'm eating dead animals, I don't really want them cooked.

[old mark]

58. I knew there was a reason I liked you.......

:toast:

mark

[Ikonoklast]

40. I'll be in Amarillo on Monday, on the way to Los Lunas, NM.

I'll stop in at the Big Texan, but I'll just have a nice rib eye.

I'd burst if I ever ate that much food in one sitting. Hell, that's more red meat than I usually eat in two weeks.

[abq e streeter]

49. From Ohio to Los Lunas? LOS LUNAS? dear god and/or goddess WHY?

not that there's anything wrong with that.

[Ikonoklast]

59. Work. Got some beans and rice to deliver.

Forty thousand pounds worth, picking up in Dallas on Monday. Then on to Las Cruces to pick up a load of onions to take back to the Buckeye.


"I've been everywhere, man."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoIfglXAbh0

Posted from MM 141 WB I-44 Oklahoma TP.

[abq e streeter]

60. 40,000lbs of beans and rice to Los Lunas---cool

its a nice drive down I-25 from there to Cruces too, but sounds like you've done this route before, so I 'm sure you know that....have a safe trip, and welcome ( briefly , I suppose) to NM ........:hi:

[flvegan]

44. I hold the record at every one of them in Florida.

Steakhouses fear me.

[DS1]

45. You, at the steak joint

back before you saw God, made right with Marcellus Wallace

[blogslut]

46. I used to work at the Big Texan

Home of the World Famous 72oz steak challenge.

They cook them over a flame grill. Some of those cooks have been doing that job for decades. Believe it or not, it is possible to cook a large hunk of beef to medium-well without it ending up tough as hell.

Personally, I never tried the 72oz steak. I have eaten prairie oysters (tastes like chicken) and buffalo burgers (tasty) but I drew the line at the rattlesnake. Ultimately, I'm a chicken-fried steak fan.

I saw a lot of people take the challenge and a lot of people fail. Huge burly truckers couldn't get past half the steak while dainty old ladies would gobble everything down and still have room for pie.

It was interesting working there. I served my first alcoholic beverage there. I broke my finger falling in the kitchen. The best part was the live entertainment. I was a waitress/can-can dancer. The whole pile-on of cowboy paraphernalia got to be silly but hey, it drew in the tourists. I sold my share of garters but after a while the place creeped me out so I quit.

[madeline_con]

50. Why does it have to be "that thick"? Have you heard of indirect heat?

[Juche]

55. Here is a video

They show scenes of them cooking it as well as a guy eating it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtUWjsJiWxY

[BreweryYardRat]

61. A year ago, I probably could have achieved that.

Now my appetite's dropped to almost nothing.

Sigh.