Nonna's City Chicken
Fried chicken often gets all the credit as the best of the fried foods. However, one bite of this city chicken and you're bound to agree that this Pittsburgh classic is just as good, if not even better. Using tender chunks of pork that are breaded, flash fried, and then baked to perfection- this vintage recipe is another one straight from Nonna's Italian American kitchen.
Servings: 10
Calories: 128kcal
Ingredients
- 2 lb pork tenderloin cut into 1 1/2" cubes
- 4 inch wooden skewers
- Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- canola oil
- flour
- 3 eggs + 2 tbsp water beaten until smooth
- s & p to taste
- 1 pinch ground thyme
Instructions
- Add the bread crumbs to a large flat plate, and the flour to another. Make sure the beaten egg + water mixture's in a bowl wide enough to roll a 4" skewer in. Line them up in this order: flour, egg, bread crumbs.
- Thread 4-5 chunks of meat onto your skewers, crowding it together, but making sure to leave enough wooden skewer visible on each end so that you can hold it with your fingers. Do this until all the meat's been skewered.
- One skewer at a time, roll them in flour, then dip in egg wash, and into the bread crumbs- rolling and pressing to coat if needed. You want an even bread crumbs coating. Set the skewers onto a waiting plate, and continue until all the skewers have been coated.
- Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pot to 350°. Once the oils hot, add 3-5 skewers gently into the hot oil. I like to use tongs for this part to avoid any burns on my fingers or hands. Don't overcrowd the number of skewers in the pot at one time.
- Fry the city chicken skewers for 3-5 minutes, watching carefully, just until they're a rich golden brown on all sides. Use the tongs to carefully remove the fried skewers to a waiting plate lined with paper towels so that excess hot oil may drain.
- Transfer the fried skewers to a 9x13" pyrex baking dish. Continue frying the skewers in batches until all have been fried, drained, and are in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the fried meat liberally with water. I flick it on with my hand. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake the meat at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil, and bake the meat an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve the skewers while still warm, with desired sauce or dip of choice.
Nutrition
Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 375mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg