Woman eats two Big Texan 72-ounce steaks in less than 15 minutes

Holy cow. A woman from Nebraska devoured two of the Big Texan Steak Ranch‘s trademark 72-ounce steak dinners in less than 15 minutes Monday, reported the Amarillo Globe-News, and set an apparent record in the process.

Molly Schuyler of Bellevue, Nebraska, reportedly polished off the first meal in less than five minutes. If the timing is correct, she destroyed the old record of 8 minutes, 52 seconds, set by Joey “Jaws” Chestnut in 2008. Since Chestnut’s record, no other eater has come close, according to the Big Texan’s database.

KAMR-TV in Amarillo reports that Schuyler inhaled the first dinner in 4:48, which would be a record. The second meal, she polished off in 9:59.

Schuyler said she wanted to take on the second 72-ounce steak meal at a more leisurely pace, so she ate it in about 10 minutes. Never mind the second attempt would have been in near-record territory as well.

The newspaper also produced a video from the event.

Schuyler is sort of a ringer — she signed with a professional eating circuit last year and has broken records at other restaurants.

The Globe-News reported that Schuyler said she wants to eat three Big Texan steaks in an hour the next time she’s through Amarillo.

A few things I learned from the Big Texan’s book about the history of the restaurant and talking to employees. First, it’s the relatively skinny competitors such as Schuyler who can usually polish off the 72-ounce dinner. Second, other people have eaten two of those steak dinners in less than an hour, but it’s only a handful.

Although the Big Texan no longer sits on Route 66, it started on Amarillo Boulevard (aka Route 66) in 1960 and advertises its Mother Road roots frequently. After Interstate 40 opened in the early 1970s, the Big Texas picked up and moved to ensure its survival.

(Image of the 72-ounce steak dinner at the Big Texan by soumit via Flickr)