The Wagyu of Duck: Joe Jurgielewicz & Sons, Ltd. (JJS)

Left: Michael Jurgielewicz,  Business Development & Marketing.
Right: Joey Jurgielewicz III, Director Business Development.

The legacy of Jurgielewicz Duck farming began in 1933 when Dr. Joe Jurgielewicz Jr.’s grandparents emigrated to America from Poland via Ellis Island. Their entrepreneurial spirit led them to settle in rural Long Island, where they started Jurgielewicz Duck Farm. 

Over the years, Long Island duck farms faced challenges due to environmental regulations, taxation, and rising land values. By the late 1960s and 1970s, most duck farms consolidated, closed, or sold to real estate developers. Despite various challenges, the Jurgielewicz Duck Farm demonstrated resilience and maintained its position as one of the last remaining duck farms on Long Island.

In 1983, Dr. Joe Jurgielewicz Jr. graduated from Cornell Veterinary College, earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. Inspired by his passion for ducks, he convinced his father, Joe Sr., to come out of retirement and start a new duck business. Together, they searched the East Coast for the ideal location and found a plot of land in Pennsylvania Dutch Country and established Joe Jurgielewicz & Son, Ltd. (JJS), reviving their duck farming legacy.

The JJS breed of Pekin ducks, descendants of the original Long Island ducks, became favored by leading chefs for their perfectly balanced meat-to-fat ratio. This signature breed gave rise to the famous JJS Tasty Duck, known for its succulent flavor. Today, JJS is one of North America’s leading Pekin duck suppliers, partnering with local farm families throughout Pennsylvania to raise high-quality ducks. 

The Jurgielewicz family continues its 91-year tradition of providing top-quality Pekin duck products and world-class service to clients globally. From humble beginnings on Long Island to a thriving Pennsylvania farm, their commitment to excellence remains unwavering.

Author Note: The Pekin duck is a white-feathered breed originating in China. It is particularly favored in the U.S. market due to its mild and moist flavor, unlike other duck breeds (such as Muscovy, Moulard, or Mallard) that can taste gamey—Pekin duck’s tender meat and versatile texture suit various recipes.

Peking duck is a famous Chinese roast duck dish with a long history dating back to the Imperial Era. Traditional ​Peking Duck involves roasting a whole duck until the skin is crispy and serving it with several elements, such as sliced pieces of crispy roast duck, Chinese pancakes, savory hoisin sauce, julienned cucumbers, and scallions. Peking Duck is often served during Lunar New Year celebrations, symbolizing loyalty and good fortune.

Golf Kitchen collaborates with Executive Chef Stephen Yen of Liberty National Golf Club, and Executive Chef Jonathan Cichon of Merion Golf Club to discuss America’s Tastiest Duck with Joey Jurgielewicz III. 

Jonathan: What makes the ducks you raise different or better than other duck farmers? 

Joey: My great-grandfather was one of the original Long Island Duck farmers, all the way out on the Eastern Shore of Long Island. They started in 1933, and the ducks have the same genetics today. With our meat-to-fat ratio, we get that authentic duck flavor. It is very forgiving; you can’t dry it down or overcook it. I like to say it is very well-balanced. 

Stephen:  More and more restaurant chefs are switching over to the club world. Is that translating over in your field as well? Are you getting more orders going to clubs?

Joey: 100%. During the Pandemic, many restaurants closed, and many chefs didn’t want to deal with city restaurant environments. They started to discover careers in the private club space. We are fortunate that they brought our ducks with them. On the flip side, people became more adventurous with cooking and dining. They started looking for different proteins to eat or different dining experiences. Ducks used to be for special occasions, but now we see them on club menus, from appetizers to main entrees nationwide. 

Jonathan: Do you sell more whole ducks, breasts, or legs, and is that what drives you to create other products? 

Joey: 80% of our business is in the Asian trade in North America. 99% of the ducks in Chinatowns around the United States are ours. That dries up a high percentage of whole birds. With labor issues, we are seeing more people looking for cut-up parts for breasts. However, a privately owned restaurant, maybe not a club, can profit by buying the whole bird and breaking it down. 

Jonathan: What you say about Chinatown is interesting. They’re not advertising it, that’s for sure. 

Joey: No, but duck is a prominent staple in their culture. We kept that original strain with that fattier, thicker skin. The duck skin is the most crucial part when cooking at high temperatures. The crispy skin is so important when you enjoy those dishes. The Chinese have been specifically cooking ducks for 2000+ years. It was a dish of the emperor. They’re the experts in ducks. 

Stephen: With high labor costs, do you see more chefs switching gears toward more of your value-added products like the Carnitas, the Smoked duck, and the Confit duck? It makes sense for me to go with something I can purchase, add a sauce, and maybe two more touches versus the whole duck, which for us could be anywhere from a four—to five-day process between bringing, air drying, putting the maltose on, and then roasting, and then hopefully, somebody orders the duck. 

Joey: Most of our business is still Whole Bird, mainly because we supply most traditional Asian restaurants and neighborhoods nationwide. At first, we created value-added products to help people overcome their fear of duck. At the same time, our marketing staff began to realize the higher labor costs at restaurants and clubs, so we developed products to help save chefs’ time. We started a dry-age program for the Peking duck and began supplying deboned half-ducks but left the leg and wing on. 

Our biggest goal is to get on the menu. Once on the menu, we prove our products by flavor and quality. We are trying to make it more affordable and efficient for chefs. 

Jonathan: What surprises you the most about the industry’s current state when dealing with chefs, clubs, and restaurants? Do you deal directly with the chefs?

Joey: 80% of our businesses go through distributors, but being such a niche and specialty product, we must work for those distributors. It doesn’t matter if it’s Philadelphia or New York City. The success rate isn’t as high if we’re not visiting chefs, building the brand, or doing the tastings. So, if I’m visiting you or another club down the road, we can inspire you to get a duck dish on your menu and hopefully use our brand. 

Jonathan: Where do you distribute most of your products?

Joey: Baldor, Chefs’ Warehouse, Fossil Farms, and we have some specialty distributors in the city, such as George Wells. We don’t have many distributors; we want to be their specialty duck product. My dad is flying to San Francisco to teach a duck class with a distributor in Napa Valley!

Stephen:  Has the ducks’ feed changed in the last five or ten years? Or are you staying true to your traditions? 

Joey: Our feed formula has been the same since JJS started in 1933. It’s a very traditional corn and soybean diet. The simpler, the better. Adding different junk to the feed will affect your product, its quality, and the bird’s health. Air quality and a barn’s cleanliness  are also correlated. These factors all play a role in retaining the quality and consistency of our birds. 

Jonathan: Is the farm seasonal?  

Joey: Summer is a little slower. But again, being that heavily Asian-influenced market, we do very well. We’re busier now; retailers, clubs, and restaurants will put fresh duck orders in for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is officially duck season. 

Stephen:  About the club industry, has the demand for duck grown in the last two years post-COVID? Or do you think it was before Covid? When did you see an uptick in the club world? 

Joey:  The uptick was right before COVID-19. Our duck was taking off in private clubs fast, suddenly stopping. As much as it was a terrible time for us and the industry, that’s when we developed many of our value-added items. These new products and processes got that flywheel returning to the club world post-COVID-19. Also, during that time, the clubs had some of their biggest membership jumps, especially when you look at the southern states and how many people moved to Florida, Texas, or Arizona. They wanted the same food quality that they had specifically in the Northeast. There are many benefits for us in the private club world. 

Joey:  Stephen, do you think there is an increase in Asian influences and Asian Fusion in Clubs generally?

Stephen: The term Asian fusion got messed up in years past. It became “confusion.” Chefs like Jean- Georges Vongerichten became obsessed with Thai food. ​ Ferran Adria, who mastered everything you could master in Western cuisine, became obsessed with Korean and Japanese food. He began making translucent ravioli out of cellulose paper that melts in your mouth (laughs), but if you were a kid growing up in Korea, your mom snuck medicine into that to get you to take it. Now, it’s Asian Fusion!

Regardless, they helped bring Asian food to the forefront, and people like myself, second and third-generation Asians, are where it is right now. One of the guys who works with me in the kitchen told me that when he was working at a restaurant in New York City, many of the older Asian cooks would not tell anyone their recipes; they would gate-keep everything. In my view, the minute I learn a recipe, I want to share it with everyone because someone might come back and say, “I ground it for two hours last night, and it came out better.” This was as a collective we continue to perfect our recipes. 

Jonathan: What’s your favorite way to eat duck? 

Joey: It’s interesting. We like to tease many of our competitors because they’ll sell their whole ducks with an orange sauce packet. After all, their product is so bad that you must put something on it. Our duck has a natural, delicious, authentic duck flavor. We have an excellent network of alum chefs. It’s wild, and we’re fortunate. 

Jonathan: Did you ever consider not raising ducks for a living? 

Joey: No. We’re only good at one thing! Stick to what you’re good at! (laughs) My brothers and I grew up in the business and explored other avenues, but we all returned to the company. 

Chefs interested www.tastyduck.comin learning how we can help them incorporate JJS duck into their menus or who would like to visit the farm can contact Joey directly at [email protected] or visit  www.TastyDuck.com.

Smoked Jurgielewicz Duck Salad 
Recipe by Jonathan Cichon, Executive Chef at Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pennsylvania, USA

JJS Peking Duck with Bao Buns and Hoisin Sauce
Recipe by Stephen Yen, Executive Chef at Liberty National Golf Club, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA