CHEF JOHN'S CITY CHICKEN

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Chef John's City Chicken image

This fascinating pork-on-a-stick recipe is American cuisine in a nutshell. City cooks, who couldn't get chicken, would take scraps from much cheaper, at the time, pork and build something similar to what you see here. Why this represents the true spirit of American food is that long after chicken became cheap and plentiful, people kept making and eating this anyway. Serve with honey mustard.

Provided by Chef John

Categories     100+ Everyday Cooking Recipes

Time 1h

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 whole pork tenderloin
6 (6 inch) bamboo skewers
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
dried thyme to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 eggs, beaten, or more as needed
½ cup all-purpose flour, or as needed
½ cup panko bread crumbs, or as needed
2 cups vegetable oil, or as needed

Steps:

  • Cut tenderloin into three sections; the thick center section and two end sections. Cut the thinner end portion of the tenderloin into chunks. Slice the thick center section lengthwise into even halves. Cut the 2 center sections and thicker end portion into1/2-inch slices.
  • Thread pork pieces, starting with the smallest pieces and working up to wider pieces, onto each skewer to resemble chicken drumsticks.
  • Season skewered 'drumsticks' with salt, black pepper, thyme, and cayenne pepper on all sides.
  • Whisk eggs together in a bowl. Pour flour into another bowl. Put the bread crumbs into a third bowl.
  • Gently press the 'drumsticks' into flour to coat and shake to remove excess flour. Dip 'drumsticks' into egg and press into bread crumbs. Place finished drumsticks on a plate in a single layer and refrigerate, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
  • Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until the surface of the oil is shimmering. Cook 'drumsticks' in the hot oil until golden brown on all sides and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate; let rest 5 minutes. Season with salt.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 233.4 calories, Carbohydrate 14.4 g, Cholesterol 104.1 mg, Fat 12.2 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 17.8 g, SaturatedFat 2.6 g, Sodium 96.7 mg, Sugar 0.2 g

haris king
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This was a great recipe! The chicken was crispy and juicy, and the sauce was delicious. I will definitely be making this again.


Brittany
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This recipe was easy to follow and the chicken turned out great. The sauce was a little too sweet for my taste, but that's easily adjustable. Overall, I'm happy with this recipe.


Camella Davis
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I loved this recipe! The chicken was crispy and flavorful, and the sauce was tangy and sweet. It was the perfect meal for a weeknight dinner.


Shery Mughal
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This was a great recipe! The chicken was delicious and the sauce was perfect. I will definitely be making this again.


Steve Yocum
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This recipe was amazing! The chicken was so crispy and juicy, and the sauce was the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. I will definitely be making this again.


Junah Stpreux
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I made this dish last night and it was a hit with my family. Everyone loved the crispy chicken and the flavorful sauce. It was easy to make and didn't take long at all. I will definitely be making this again.


Titu Shil
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This recipe is a keeper! The chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The sauce was tangy and sweet, and the perfect complement to the chicken. I will definitely be making this again.