Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu
CANYON, Texas — The West Texas A&M University meat lab is in the spotlight on the next episode of Outdoor Channel’s “Hardcore Carnivore.”
Host Jess Pryles visited the Caviness Meat Science and Innovation Center at WT’s Agricultural Sciences Complex in August 2024 to get a hands-on tour of the state-of-the-art lab.
The episode will debut at 8 p.m. CT Oct. 6 on Outdoor Channel and will air several times over the following week.
Photo: Dr. Ty Lawrence, WT’s Caviness Davis Distinguished Chair in Meat Science, introduces Jess Pryles to Doc’s Prime Cuts in the Happy State Bank Academic and Research Building. Pryles’ show, “Hardcore Carnivore,” will feature WT’s Caviness Meat Science and Innovation Center in its Oct. 6 episode.
Pryles, an Australia native who moved to Texas to master life-fire cooking, starts her tour at the Nance Ranch, where she meets some of the cloned cattle raised on the grounds. She then heads to the Happy State Bank Academic and Research Building on WT’s Canyon campus, which houses the meat science center and Doc’s Prime Cuts, the student-run meat store.
“We were thrilled to host Jess Pryles and the ‘Hardcore Carnivore’ team,” said Dr. Ty Lawrence, WT’s Caviness Davis Distinguished Chair in Meat Science. “Her passion for the science of meat and live-fire cooking perfectly complements our commitment to research and education. This collaboration was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our world-class facility and the hands-on experience our students gain, bringing the best of Texas meat science to a national audience.”
In addition to Lawrence, Pryles interviews Dr. Loni Lucherk, WT’s Gordon W. Davis Endowed Chair in Meat Judging, and Dr. Trent Schwartz, assistant professor of animal science.
Schwartz takes Pryles through the butchering process, supervising her as she butchers several cuts of steak.
“It’s basically like a giant, beefy jigsaw puzzle, right?” Pryles jokes.
Lucherk teaches Pryles how to judge cuts of meat, as she does as coach of WT’s meats team. Lucherk’s students are frequent champions, winning four titles in 2024-2025 and scoring its first championship of the current academic year in September.
The episode concludes with Pryles cooking flat-iron steaks and bone marrow, both purchased at Doc’s Prime Cuts, at Doves Rest Cabins on the edge of Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
WT’s meat science education is a key way in which regional needs are met, the primary mission of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World .
That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign has raised more than $175 million and will continue through 2025.
About West Texas A&M University
A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M University is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. A Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The University also is home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.
Top photo: Outdoor Channel’s “Hardcore Carnivore” will feature West Texas A&M University’s Caviness Meat Science and Innovation Center in its Oct. 6 episode. Host Jess Pryles, second from left, interviews WT faculty members Dr. Loni Lucherk, from left, Dr. Ty Lawrence and Dr. Trent Schwartz.
—WT—