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| Behold the "mock drumstick" of our (baked not fried) City Chicken, smothered in a delicious pan gravy. A century-old recipe bringing comfort food joy... |
One hundred years ago, when you couldn't afford real chicken, "City Chicken" was a tasty alternative, a way to enjoy mock fried chicken drumsticks using meat scraps (pork, beef, veal) from the butcher.
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| Click here for the Free Recipe PDF. |
AND since my husband (and partner in crime writing) has been craving it lately, I thought it was about time I aided and abetted his desire to...
Eat with joy!
~ Cleo
What? No Chicken in City Chicken?
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City Chicken
So why is it called City Chicken?
During the Depression, when this mock chicken dish really took off, fatty trimmings and meat scraps of pork, beef, and veal were less expensive than chicken, especially in urban areas that were far from poultry farms. In other words, city dwellers were the ones making it because chicken was too expensive to eat.
And how does it taste?
Incredibly good. Marc and I grew up just outside of Pittsburgh, where the dish has been popular for years. Wednesdays were City Chicken night at my husband's house, where his mom served her hearty mock drumsticks with string beans and mashed potatoes—to soak up all that good pan gravy.
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| The Wiki Entry for City Chicken includes this photo of "A package of All Pork City Chicken, found in Pittsburgh, PA" Credit: By AstroErika (Own work) Click for more info via Wikimedia Commons |
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| Click here for the Free Recipe PDF. |
Cleo Coyle's
City Chicken Recipe
Makes six servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 6 six-inch wooden skewers (in a pinch, simply cut down longer skewers)
- 3 pounds of meat cubes (we use):
1-½ pounds boneless pork pieces (or "stew meat") +
1-½ pounds veal pieces (or "stew meat")
1-½ pounds boneless pork pieces (or "stew meat") +
1-½ pounds veal pieces (or "stew meat")
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (we use Italian seasoned)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon milk (or water)
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2/3 cup chicken or veg stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon (or so) Wondra flour or cornstarch
DIRECTIONS:
Note: If you bought "stew meat" packages as shown above, you should be ready to go. If you can't find stew meat, purchase pork loin chops and/or veal steaks and cut them into small pieces ( about 1- to 1-1/2 inches in size).
Step 1: Prepare the Meat - Arrange the meat pieces on each of the six skewers. If using more than one type, alternate them (pork, veal, pork, veal, etc...) Fit the pieces together tightly to create a mock chicken drumstick. Dredge each of the mock drumsticks in flour, then in egg, and finally coat generously with the seasoned bread crumbs.
Step 2: Brown the meat РPreheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. While oven is heating, place the vegetable oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. When this shallow oil is hot enough to ripple, add 1 tablespoon of butter and allow it to melt. Saut̩ the mock drumsticks about five minutes in the hot oil, turning often, until the outsides are golden brown. Remove the mock drumsticks from the pan and set them aside on a holding plate. Turn the heat to low.
Step 3: Saut̩ the onions РAdd the chopped onion to the hot oil, along with about 1 tablespoon butter. Cook and stir over the low heat until the onions are brown, about five minutes. Now return the mock drumsticks to the pan (along with any drippings that may have accumulated on the holding plate). Cook them only for another minute or two.
Step 4: Bake in the oven – Add ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock to the skillet, cover with a lid, and bake in the preheated oven for about 50 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
Step 5: Make the gravy - The onions and stock create a nice gravy as the meat cooks. While you can spoon this thin gravy over the mock drumsticks as is, we prefer to thicken it. To do this, you'll need to remove all of the mock drumsticks from the pan while leaving the liquid in there...
Over low heat, whisk the Wondra flour (or cornstarch) into the liquid. If you like, you can stir a bit of butter into the gravy for richness, as well, although it's not a necessity. Simmer for a minute or two, whisking in more flour or cornstarch until the gravy thickens to your liking. Then plate the mock drumsticks, spoon the gravy over them, as shown, and...eat with comfort food joy! ~ Cleo
