City Chicken Is the Retro Recipe With a Secret

Prepared to be surprised: These juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside skewers are actually … pork! Why is it called city chicken, then? In the early 1900s, cuts of pork and veal were the most budget-friendly meats workers in meat-packing cities could find. 

Chicken was more expensive and not found in cities, so pork or veal was made to look like chicken drumsticks by cubing the meat, skewering it, dredging the skewers in flour or breadcrumbs, and pan-frying like fried chicken. 

Eating the crispy, tender meat off the skewers is part of the fun (the other part is telling people it is not chicken).  

Tips for Making Chicken Chicken

• You can cut up the pork tenderloin and put it on the skewers up to 3 days ahead of time.
• To save time, you can put all of the cut-up pork pieces in a ziplock bag, add flour and garlic powder, and shake the bag to cover all the pieces at once.
• City chicken can also be made with veal, so feel free to use it instead. Veal tenderloin will cook a bit faster, so start checking it at the 12-minute mark.
• Serve these skewers with honey mustard, ranch, or even just some hot honey.

Crispy Proteins

• Air Fryer Chicken Tender
  
• Italian Butter Chicken
• Air Fryer Fish Sticks
• Pretzel Chicken

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Line two large-rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil. Set a wire rack on one of the baking sheets. Set both aside.

Prepare the breading mixtures:

Stir together the flour and garlic powder in a medium shallow bowl. Whisk together the eggs and water in a separate medium shallow bowl. Stir together panko and salt in a third medium shallow bowl; set aside.

Make the skewers:

Thread the pork cubes (3 to 4 each) onto each of the wooden skewers. 

Working in batches, dip the skewers into the flour mixture, turning to coat all sides. Dip the coated skewers in the egg mixture, turning to coat, then transfer to the panko mixture. Turn to coat on all sides, patting lightly to adhere. Place onto the prepared baking sheet (the one without the wire rack).

Pan-fry the skewers:

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, add 4 to 5 pork skewers to the hot oil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 1 minute per side (about 4 minutes total per batch). Transfer to the prepared baking sheet with the wire rack and repeat the process with the remaining skewers.

Finish cooking in the oven:

Transfer the skewers to the oven and bake until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork reads 145°F, 15 to 20 minutes.  

Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a preheated oven on a wire rack at 350°F.

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