I am not sure why this dish is called City Chicken, while it is actually made out of pork. Maybe it was popular in the days when chicken was more expensive than pork, so chefs tried to be creative.
I would like to hear from anyone who is familiar with the history behind the name of this dish. Please share with us.
This recipe seems lengthy and complicated, but it is rather simple to prepare, and a great dish for parties, pot luck dinners, picnics, and Super Bowl Parties.
Makes 12-16 servings.
### Please scroll down to the end of this post for a Printable Recipe ###
Cut the meat into 1 inch cubes, and place in a large bowl.
Soak the skewers in water for at least 10 minutes, before using.
Leaving about 2 inches at the bottom of each skewer, arrange pork cubes on the skewers.
Prepare egg wash.
Roll the skewered pork in bread crumb mixture, to coat evenly.
Dip the bread crumb coated pork into egg wash.
Dip for the second time in the flavored bread crumbs.
Heat the oil in a frying pan until it sizzles, add few pork skewers at a time, and brown lightly on one side.
Turn them over, and brown lightly on the other side.
Arrange the city chicken on top of the veggies.
City Chicken – Recipe and Techinque
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 lbs boneless pork sirloin chops (or cubed pork for stew)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup wine vinegar
- 4 eggs
- 3 onions, chopped
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 large carrot, shredded
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3/4 tsp curry powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups Italian flavored bread crumbs
- 4 Tbs butter
- Canola oil for frying
- Bamboo skewers (14-18), soaked in water
Instructions
- Cut the meat into 1 inch cubes, and place in a large bowl.
- Combine water, vinegar, garlic, 1/2 of the salt and pepper.
- Pour mixture over meat cubes, and mix to coat.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
- Soak the skewers in water for at least 10 minutes, before using.
- Leaving about 2 inches at the bottom of each skewer, arrange pork cubes on the skewers. I used 5-6 pieces of meat on each skewer, but would recommend only 4, for easier handling. Squeeze cubes together, and pat dry with paper towel. Set aside on a foil lined baking sheet.
- Prepare egg wash, by beating the eggs with a whisk, until frothy. Set aside
- Blend bread crumbs with curry powder, and remaining salt and pepper.
- Roll the skewered pork in bread crumb mixture, to coat evenly.
- Dip the bread crumb coated pork into egg wash. Drip off any excess liquid.
- Dip for the second time in the flavored bread crumbs, and squeeze them gently to firm them up, as shown above.
- Turn them over, and brown lightly on the other side.
- Clear off dripping from the frying pan. Add butter, chopped onions, celery and carrots, and saute for 1 minute.
- Spread the veggies evenly on a foil lined baking sheet.
- Arrange the city chicken on top of the veggies. All the bay leaves.
- Cover with aluminium foil, if you wish to keep in moisture, during baking for about 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and finish baking until the internal temperature of the meat reaches at least 145 degrees.
- Or bake uncovered in a preheated oven, at 275 degrees F, for about 45-60 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink ( and it reached at least 145 degrees F).
- These may be served hot, or at room temperature.
Notes
This City Chicken is suitable for freezing. It also may be stored in the refrigerator for several days, and reheated before serving.
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https://suburbangrandma.com/city-chicken-recipe-and-techinque/
Related
I am not sure why this dish is called City Chicken, while it is actually made out of pork. Maybe it was popular in the days when chicken was more expensive than pork, so chefs tried to be creative.
Dip for the second time in the flavored bread crumbs.
City chicken is a Polish dish that is generally made around the Detroit and Pittsburgh areas. Chicken was more expensive than other meats, so they made these to replicate chicken legs. It is made with alternating cubes of pork and veal on a skewer, then seasoned with salt and pepper, rolled in flour, then beaten eggs, then bread crumbs. Fry in pan till browned (in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil).Put into baking pan with just enough water to cover bottom of pan, then dab a few pats of butter on them.Bake for about 45 minutes @ 350 degrees.
Thank you very much for your input. Very interesting history. Sound like the recipe I have, differs slightly from yours. Nonetheless, a great dish to prepare.
Please stop by again.
What are the bay leaves used for? They are listed in the ingredients but not in the recipe
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Proof reading sometimes still leaves out information. I edited the post and the bay leaves are placed with the chicken before baking. Also, I added that you can either cover the chicken with aluminium foil for at least 1/2 of the baking time, or bake it as originally stated without covering it. Thank you for visiting my page, and for your comments.
This recipe is delicious! My pork was not as tender as i would have liked. I used boneless country style pork ribs cut into small chunks. I marinated overnight. Did i brown too long in the skillet or was it the cut? Thanks for any input. Really appreciate the pictures and step by step directions.
So sorry to hear about our disappointment…it could have been a combination of the meat cut and the frying time. I also use country style pork ribs when I prepare them with a barbecue sauce in my pressure cooker, and even then sometimes they are not as tender as other time. Also, pork like chicken, gets dryer with overcooking. I would suggest next time to use pork chop meat, or best of all is cubed pork tenderloin, and saute the breaded meat sticks just enough to make them golden color…they still will bake more in the oven. While baking, you can also check the internal temperature of the thickest meat chunk with a meat thermometer to read 145 degrees F. Best wishes.