City chicken facts for kids
City chicken is a unique American dish. It's made from small cubes of meat, usually pork or veal, that are put on a wooden stick called a skewer. These skewers are then cooked, often by frying or baking. Sometimes, the meat is also covered in breadcrumbs to make it crispy.
Even though it's called "city chicken," this dish almost never has any real chicken meat in it! It's a bit of a funny name, right?
Why is it called City Chicken?
This dish became popular around the time of the Great Depression in the United States. Back then, chicken was often more expensive than other meats like pork or veal, especially in cities far from farms.
So, people used cheaper meats to create a dish that looked a bit like a chicken drumstick. They would put the meat cubes on a skewer to give it that shape. It was a clever way for families to enjoy a tasty meal without spending too much money.
Where is City Chicken Popular?
City chicken is a favorite food in certain parts of the United States and Canada. You'll often find it in cities around the Great Lakes area, like Ohio and Michigan. It's also popular in parts of Pennsylvania and Upstate New York.
Some of the cities where it's commonly found include Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo. This is why it got its "urban" or "city" name! In Canada, you can find a similar version in the Ottawa Valley and near Kitchener.
How is City Chicken Made?
The main meat used for city chicken is usually pork. But how it's prepared can be a little different depending on where you are:
- In the Pittsburgh area, city chicken is almost always covered in breadcrumbs and then baked.
- In Binghamton, the meat is often soaked in a special sauce, then covered in batter, and deep-fried until crispy.
- In Cleveland, it's usually baked without breading. The meat is first coated in flour, browned in a pan, and then finished in the oven. It's often served with a tasty gravy.
Some grocery stores in these areas even sell special packages of pork cubes already on skewers, ready for you to cook your own city chicken at home!
