Forever City Chicken

There’s no chicken in city chicken. The name dates back to the Depression, when chicken was a luxury and pork and beef were cheaper. Home cooks in the Midwest started skewering cubes of pork and beef, breading them with crushed saltines and poultry seasoning, and braising them low to mimic the look and feel of fried chicken on a drumstick. The disguise was so convincing the name stuck.

The poultry seasoning is the genius move. Sage, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary in a single pre-mixed pinch make the breaded meat taste convincingly chicken-y without any actual bird in the pot.

The two-stage bake is what keeps the meat tender. Covered first to braise in the broth, then uncovered to crisp the breading back up. By the end you get juicy meat under a golden crust.

Serve over mashed potatoes with the pan juices spooned over the top.

Pro Tips

• Cube the meat in uniform 1-inch pieces. Even sizes mean even cooking and consistent breading.
• Crush the saltines fine, not powdery. Coarse-textured crumbs give the best crust.
• Brown the breaded cubes slowly. Rushing the sear means the breading falls off before the meat sets.
• Skewer the cubes traditionally on small wooden picks for the full city-chicken effect. Soak picks in water first to prevent burning.
• Let the meat rest 5 minutes before serving so the juices reabsorb into the cubes.

Variations

• All-pork version: skip the beef and use only lean pork tenderloin. The result is slightly more delicate.
• Mushroom gravy: add sliced mushrooms to the pan after browning, then pour the broth and bake as directed.
• Herb-loaded: stir 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or thyme into the breadcrumb mixture for an even bigger herb hit.