Steelworkers Ate This Depression-Era Meal Back In The Day

During the Great Depression, steelworkers needed foods that fueled grueling, long, and physically demanding shifts. While a longtime snack cake satisfied cravings, they also relied on a heftier, more filling dish: city chicken. Originating in Philadelphia, the dish was one of many foods that fed steelworkers across the industrial Midwest. Hearty, tasty, and affordable, city chicken allowed working-class families to stretch their budget. Since most cuts of meat during this era were pricier, city chicken became a popular alternative. And because chicken was considered a luxury then, this meal didn't have any chicken in it at all. It was, in fact, chopped pork and veal, breaded, threaded onto wooden skewers, and fried to resemble chicken drumsticks.

Steelworkers took this portable, resourceful comfort dish in lunchboxes as leftovers from the night before, indulging in a satisfying meal in lean times. A 1932 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article advertising a city chicken meal for 33 cents at McCann's, a popular cafeteria in downtown Pittsburgh of the time. Pittsburgh wasn't the only city known for city chicken, or "mock chicken," as it was sometimes called. It also earned its place at the table in industrial hubs like Detroit and Cleveland, where Polish and Ukrainian immigrants established communities. Even Cincinnati, while its claim to fame is chili, offered it in butcher shops in the early 1900s and began serving it in restaurants by the '30s.

This seasoned chicken imposter was sometimes placed into a drumstick-shaped mold to resemble a chicken leg before skewering. City chicken was often served with potatoes and gravy or vegetables. Despite starting out as a humble, cheap chicken alternative for steelworkers, city chicken went on to gain country-wide recognition. Cooking oil and vegetable shortening company Crisco ran a national advertising campaign in 1948 featuring a recipe for city chicken in Good Housekeeping.

With the rise of industrial farming and mass-produced chicken, city chicken became more of a regional specialty. Pittsburgh's Tom Friday's Market still sells city chicken, as does Kat's Cafe & Restaurant in Minersville, Pennsylvania. Curious foodies can also enjoy it at Federal Meats, a butcher shop in Buffalo, New York, and Marie's Kitchen in Cleveland. Supermarket chain Giant Eagle, which operates in Ohio and Pennsylvania, also sells city chicken that you can make at home. It may no longer be a household name, but for Pittsburgh residents, like many in this Reddit thread, city chicken holds a special place in their hearts. "Literally just enjoyed my mom's city chicken last night," said one commenter. "I often tell my mother, if I'm ever required to 'choose my last meal,' her city chicken is what I want. A Pittsburgh delicacy for sure!"