Old Fashioned City Chicken {Mock Chicken Dish}

City Chicken is cubes of meat placed on a skewer then fried or baked. City chicken is actually a mock chicken dish made with cubes of pork because pork was less expensive than chicken during the great depression. We prefer to eat it as cubed pork smothered in a savory gravy.  
Today I'm sharing a recipe for one of my favorite dishes City Chicken. If you don't know what city chicken is I can start by telling you it has nothing to do with chicken at all. City Chicken is actually a pork dish.

Any time I mention I'm making city chicken I get the same response. What's city chicken? because I am always in need of a good chicken recipe. Then I proceed to explain the recipe and the second response is usually really!

Yep its a mock chicken dish made with pork instead of chicken. Mock meaning (a food that is named for an ingredient that isn't in the recipe) or making one meat to resemble another meat. This recipe is a old fashioned recipe that's been around for quite some time. I did a little digging around and found out that this chicken dish goes back as far as the early 1900's.

You see back then chicken was rather expensive and pork was much cheaper. So it wasn't un common to take cuts of meats and transform them into something different by using a more accessible and economical meat.

In this case pork was transformed to resemble a traditional chicken leg by skewering cubed pork, breading and then frying or baking it. I have been making this dish for over 10 years now and we love it.

I did change the preparation up a bit by placing the cubed pork in a skillet by itself and browning it instead of placing the cubed pork on skewers. I found it much easier to cook the pork cubes all the way through using this method.


After the pork cubes are browned they are placed in a delicious yummy gravy and simmered until tender. Serve city chicken with mashed potatoes, rice or pasta, so you can enjoy that yummy gravy.

Our favorite is served with mashed potatoes, Southern Cream Peas & Hot Water Cornbread . I hope you will give this oldie but goodie a try. Do you have a favorite old fashioned dish or recipe that you like to make? If so tell me about it.

Cut pork into bite size cubed pieces. Combine flour, pepper and garlic powder on a plate or bowl. Roll pork in flour mixture until coated. Shake off excess flour. In a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium heat and add the cubed pork.

Brown pork, turning frequently; drain. Sprinkle with soup mix. Add broth, water and bay leaf. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer meat for 30-40 min or until meat is tender. Remover bay leaf and serve.

If the gravy isn't thick enough for your taste. Bring the mixture back to a slow boil then add a mixture of flour and water to make a thin paste. (see not below for measurements) Add to the gravy while using a whisk to combine. Keep adding until you have the gravy to a consistency that you want.

Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.

Yield: 4 - 6
Author: Tina Butler | Mommy's Kitchen
City Chicken (Mock Chicken Dish)

City Chicken (Mock Chicken Dish)

City Chicken is cubes of meat placed on a skewer then fried or baked. City chicken is actually a mock chicken dish made with cubes of pork because pork was less expensive than chicken during the great depression. 
Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 1 H & 5 M

Ingredients

  • 2  lbs boneless pork, cut into cubes, I used boneless pork sirloin chops
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • dash of garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
  • 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
  • 1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions

  1. Cut pork into bite size cubed pieces. Combine flour, pepper and garlic powder on a plate or bowl. Roll pork in flour mixture until coated. Shake off excess flour.
  2. In a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Brown pork, turning frequently; drain. Sprinkle with soup mix. Add broth, water and bay leaf. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover.
  3. Simmer meat for 30-40 min or until meat is tender. Remover bay leaf and serve. If the gravy isn't thick enough for your taste.
  4. Return the mixture to a slow boil then add a mixture of flour and water to make a thin paste. Add to the gravy mixture while using a whisk to combine.
  5. Keep add the flour paste until the gravy is the consistency that you want. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.
  6. To thicken the gravy: use 2 tablespoons of flour or cornstarch to equal amounts of water can be used to thicken the gravy before serving.
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19 comments

Catherine said…
This looks yummy! Perfect for a summer picnic with family!
Live.Love.Eat said…
Now there's something I never heard of. It looks awesome!!!!!
Heidi said…
How yummy! My husband isn't a big chicken fan, so this would be a little trick I could pull on him!
Loy said…
Nice to see this recipe. I also make City Chicken and remember it from my childhood. It is great that all these old time comfort food recipes are making it to the web. I do something similar with cubes of round steak, too.
Tina Butler said…
Hi Loy I bet the round steak is a nice change. My favorite recipes are the old fashioned old timey ones.
I tell you what - that is one good looking plate of food!
Definitely looks delicious - your "city chicken" reminds me of my "country fried steak" which is also a mock recipe. Love pork and this will be a different way to prepare it than the usual pork chops, loins, etc. Thanks.
Beth R. said…
I'm so glad that your city chicken is pork, and not...rabbit. That's what it is called around here..blech!
Knitty said…
In the Detroit area, City Chicken traditionally is alternating cubes of pork and veal on a skewer. A meat marker near me makes Mock City Chicken (taking the whole "mock" thing to a new level!) by using ground pork and veal, more pork than veal due to cost, and shaping it onto skewers. When my kids were little and I said we were having chicken, they wanted to know if it was chicken on a bone, chicken with no bones, mock chicken (traditional city chicken) or chicken on a stick. LOL!
Anonymous said…
Now that is my kind of cooking! Looks so yummy!!!!
Darcy said…
I made this delicious meal for my family last night and they loved it! I absolutely love your recipes. I too love to cook and your web site has been great for my recipe list. I also made the sweet and sour meat balls from your May menu and the cinnamon rolls. I can't wait to try more!!
It is so nice to see that other people like to stick with traditional meals..
Darcy
Kristin T. said…
This was an excellent meal! Very easy to make and very tasty. Not a single healthy thing about it though! ;) I've never had this before. My husband and I both loved it.
Anonymous said…
I haven't had since I was a little girl. I remember it being on a stick. Will have to try this.
Tina Butler said…
Yes the original recipe was on a stick. Very good memory. I just do it this way because it makes it easier to cook.
missmarquisha said…
I love this recipe! Reminds me of childhood! I posted it to Pinterest. I hope you don't mind!
Curlygirl said…
Love, love, love your recipes. If I'm not hungry when I start reading my emails, as soon as I connect to your site and start reading....I'm not only hungry but eager to try your recipes. Keep up the good work!
Anonymous said…
I just made this tonight and its a winner in my house. I will definitely make this meal again:) I love your site and follow you all the time. I practically live here lol. We love you Mommy's Kitchen:)
SnuggleBunnie,
We just had that for dinner the other night and it never gets old. The pork is so tender.
Donna said…
Tina,Thanks for the memory! We used to chow down on this like hogs as kids cause it was so cheap! Thought it was a big deal being on a stick. Can't wait to have it again.LOL.LOVE all your recipes,especially the chicken spaghetti-YUM.