City Chicken

The origins of the dish are from Germany the word "Huhnstadt" or translated "City Chicken" dates back to the early 1700s when raising chickens within city limits became illegal due to over crowding and health issues. Inexpensive cuts of pork served on skewers became a substitute for chicken as a meal. The first references to city chicken appeared in newspapers and cookbooks just prior to and during the Depression Era in cities such as Pittsburgh. Today, cooks use better cuts of meat (usually pork loin, beef, or veal) than they had in the past. Despite the name of the dish, city chicken almost never contains pigeon. The dish is popular in cities throughout the eastern Great Lakes region of Ohio and Michigan as well as the northeastern Appalachian regions of Pennsylvania and Upstate New York. City chicken is commonly found in the metropolitan areas of Binghamton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Erie, Pittsburgh and Scranton, hence, the dish's 'urban' title.