St. Paul restaurant gets Beef Backer award again
By Heather Thorstensen
Agri News
Date Modified: 01/29/2010 4:06 PM
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ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Beef Council has given their Beef Backer Award to Mai Village, a Vietnamese restaurant in St. Paul, for the second time.
Mai Village was the first Minnesota Beef Backer winner 19 years ago, when the restaurant was a new business.
The award goes to one restaurant in the state each year that does an exceptional job of marketing beef. The council first noticed Mai Village's seven course beef dinner, which remains a house specialty. This time, the restaurant was selected in part for their use of top round beef, said Ron Eustice, executive director of the Minnesota Beef Council.
The council wants to add value to certain underutilized cuts, mainly the chuck and top round. New steaks from the chuck, such as the flat iron, are gaining popularity but the round presents a bigger challenge. It comes from the muscular, hind leg.
"There's a tenderness issue," Eustice said.
Some ethnic groups, including Hispanics and Asians, successfully use this economic cut through tenderizing and marinating, he added. Mai Village does this, offering beef in dishes from salad to stir fry.
"They serve beef round in a delicious and enjoyable format," said Eustice. "...Almost all the beef they serve here is from the round."
Minnesota beef producers came as far away as 300 miles to be at the award presentation Jan 14. Joe Martin, assistant commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, delivered a proclamation from Gov. Tim Pawlenty and extended agriculture commissioner Gene Hugoson's congratulations to Mai Village owners, Mai Nguyen and Ngoan Dang. The proclamation recognizes their use of innovative beef dishes while maintaining their Vietnamese heritage.
"Many times in agriculture, we can forget the importance of the restaurant sector to profitability," Martin said.
Dennis Swan, chairman of the Minnesota Beef Council, presented the award to Mai and Ngoan.
"Thank you for helping us promote the beef industry," he said.
Minnesota Beef board members introduced themselves during the presentation. Clarence Caraway, a Red Angus cow-calf producer from Lake Benton and board member, said he appreciates these types of events.
"It's good to meet the people that are promoting your product," he said.
The presentation coincided with the restaurant's 20th year in business. Mai, who left South Vietnam and came to the United States in 1975 with her parents and children, took a moment during the event to recognize her family members who help run the restaurant.
"Deep down, from me and my family, we thank you very much," she said.
Since the restaurant received their first Beef Backer Award, beef sales have increased four times.
"It's an important part of this menu," Eustice said.
Attendees sampled some of their beef dishes, including beef sausage and beef wrapped in grape leaves before celebrating their 20th anniversary with cake.