When something is not prepared correctly, or at least in a way that makes you crave it over and over again, it is very easy to avoid eating that food or believe that you actually don’t like it. This was the case with me and City Chicken.
Years ago, while living at home, my mother would on occasion buy some city chicken from the local grocery store and prepare it for dinner. I hated it. Hate might seem like a harsh word, but honestly, the thought of it turned my stomach.
So what was so wrong with pork cubes breaded and put on wooden skewers? Well, they were dry, tough and if that wasn’t enough — tasteless. I blamed my mother at the time, because she was the one who served it, but looking back, she was doing the best she could with what she had.
After moving out on my own I decided to give city chicken another try. I bought some pre-made skewers of pork from the grocery store and fried them up. That cinched it. City chicken was just not something I liked. It was dry, tough and pretty much tasteless.
Quite a few years ago I made the discovery that although pork chops, loin, and steaks were okay, if I really wanted a dish prepared with pork to be moist and tender, I needed to use the pork butt cut of this meat. Pork butts are perfect for pulled pork, pork roast, slicing up for grilling, and the only pork I’ll use to make ground pork. Knowing this I decided to give city chicken one last try. I mean I have heard so many people rave about how good it is, perhaps it’s all in the cut of pork you use and how it is prepared. So about two years ago, I found a recipe for city chicken, gathered all my knowledge of tenderizing pork and how to cook it so it would literally melt in your mouth and made it.
Outstanding. By using a baking soda and water solution to tenderize the meat and then slow cooking it on a low temperature for several hours, it was an instant hit with the family. This is so good, Hubby even told me it was “Company Worthy” a compliment he saves only for exceptional meals.
Moist 'n Tender City Chicken
- Servings: 3 - 4 Meals
Ingredients
- 5 – 9 Pound Pork Butt, fat removed and cubed into 1½” pieces
- Salt & Pepper
- 6 Large Eggs, beaten
- 3 – 4 Cups Italian Bread Crumbs
- 2 tsp. Paprika
- 6 Tbsp. Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Olive Oil for frying
Directions
- In order to make the pork moist and melt-in-your-mouth tender, you will need to soak the cubes in a solution of 1 tsp. Baking Soda dissolved in½ cup water. Allow this to sit 1 hour at room temperature, stirring every 15 – 20 minutes.
- Once the meat has been tenderized, place 4 – 6 pieces on wooden skewers, salt and pepper, and set aside.
- In a shallow bowl, beat eggs.
- In separate dish, combine bread crumbs, paprika, and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
- Dip skewered pork into the eggs and then the bread crumb mixture, being sure to cover completely.
- Heat oil in fry pan over medium heat.
- Place meat in pan and brown all skewers on all sides until golden brown. About 2 minutes per side.
- Once brown, place the portion you want to use that night for dinner in a baking pan and cover with foil.
- Place remaining skewers on parchment lined baking sheets and place in freezer until frozen (about 2 hours).
- Meanwhile, in 300° preheated oven, place baking pan and cook 2 – 3 hours.
- When extra skewers are frozen, transfer to freezer bags or store in FoodSaver bags until ready to use.
Cooking Note
The pork is so tender after being soaked in the baking soda/water mixture and being slow cooked in the oven, that a gravy really isn’t necessary. However, if you are set on having one, the roasting pan that the pork is roasted in will have just a little liquid, just enough to make a rue with some flour. Add either chicken or beef broth to this and you’ll have a tasty gravy.
To cook the frozen city chicken, first defrost completely by placing in fridge the night before, then cook as directed.
Recipe by: Tilly Frueh – Simply Grateful Cooking 2019
Because this is so good, I like to use an entire pork butt when I make it, which is usually anywhere from 5 – 9 pounds and make a large batch of this dish to freeze a portion of it. It makes for an easy meal on those days when I find myself behind schedule and searching for something I can put in the oven and forget about.
Looking back at the city chicken my mother made as well as the first time I made it, I now realize that the pork used on those skewers was more than likely a standard pork chop cut. That, along with the fact that the meat wasn’t pretreated to tenderize it and both my mom and I fried it till it was cooked through (shoe leather comes to mind), was the surest way to make anyone not like it. I am so glad I revisited this dish and have added it to our families favorite recipes. For this I am — Simply Grateful.
