Breaded and fried cubes of pork and veal on a wooden skewer, despite the name containing no chicken. A Depression-era dish from Pittsburgh's Eastern European and mill communities.

City chicken was born in Pittsburgh and the wider Rust Belt during the Great Depression, when pork and veal were cheaper than chicken. Cooks cubed the meat, skewered it to mimic a drumstick, then breaded and fried it. The dish persisted in Eastern European and Polish households and on diner menus; it still turns up at old-school restaurants and family Sunday tables across the region as a nostalgic comfort dish.

Where to eat City chicken in Pittsburgh

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Make it at home

Serves 41 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g pork shoulder, cubed
  • 300g veal, cubed
  • Wooden skewers
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 200g seasoned breadcrumbs
  • Flour for dredging
  • Oil for frying
  • Chicken or pork stock

Method

  1. Thread alternating cubes of pork and veal onto each wooden skewer.
  2. Dredge each skewer in flour, then beaten egg, then seasoned breadcrumbs.
  3. Brown the skewers in oil on all sides in a heavy pan.
  4. Transfer to a baking dish, add a splash of stock, cover and bake at 180C (350F) for 40 minutes until tender.
  5. Serve with mashed potatoes and the pan gravy.

Editor tip. Braising the breaded skewers after frying keeps the lean veal from drying out.

Common allergens: Gluten, Egg.