Featured Chef Profile: Joseph “JJ” Johnson

“Niman Ranch has some of the best farmers in the country and continues to be a household name for chefs. As a consumer, you should be able to trust your farmers and the products that they produce. I know I do. I trust Niman Ranch farmers. These farmers are hardworking families that dedicate their lives to ensuring high quality meats. I believe in the the quality of Niman Ranch pork and also appreciate that their meat is raised humanely and sustainably. I respect the measures taken to ensure that their hogs are Raised with Care^® which in turn guarantees better tasting meat.”

Chef Joseph “JJ” Johnson is a James Beard-nominated Executive Chef at The Cecil and Minton’s, both based in Harlem, NY. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he went on to hone his skills in some of New York’s most esteemed kitchens including Centro Vinoteca, Jane, and Tribeca Grill. In 2013, Chef JJ helped open The Cecil, NYC’s first Afro-Asian-American restaurant, with restaurateur Alexander Smalls, which was named Best New Restaurant of the Year in 2014 by Esquire Magazine. Soon after, he joined the kitchen of its sister restaurant Minton’s, the revived jazz supper club next door.

Chef JJ’s accolades include a nomination for a James Beard Foundation award for Rising Star Chef (2015), an award from Star Chefs as a Rising Star Community Chef (2015), being named as one of Observer’s “20 Under 40” list of extraordinary philanthropists (2016), Forbes’ 30 Under 30, Zagat’s 30 Under 30, and Eater Young Guns (all in 2014), and being recognized as Chef of the Year by New York African Restaurant Week (2015).