Symon's Dinners Cooking Out Season 4 Episode 6 Classic Cleveland "City Chicken"

Symon's Dinners Cooking Out season 4 episode 6 is titled "Classic Cleveland 'City Chicken.'" This episode of the cooking show explores the culinary heritage of Cleveland, Ohio, where Chef Symon first learned to cook. Specifically, the episode focuses on the iconic midwestern dish, "city chicken."

For those who have never heard of it, city chicken is a dish that's unique to the Midwest. It's often made with pork, veal, or a combination of the two, skewered onto a stick, breaded, and then fried or baked. The origins of the dish are somewhat murky, with some sources attributing it to the era of the Great Depression when meat was scarce, and others crediting it to Eastern European immigrants who brought their own versions of the dish to the region.

In this episode, Chef Symon explores the various ways that chefs and home cooks around Cleveland make city chicken. He begins by visiting a local butcher shop, where he shows viewers the types of cuts of meat that are typically used for the dish, including pork tenderloin and veal loin. From there, he heads to the kitchen to demonstrate his own version of city chicken, which involves marinating the pork in a mixture of mustard, cider vinegar, and herbs before breading and frying it.

Throughout the episode, Chef Symon also chats with other Cleveland chefs about how they prepare city chicken and what makes the dish so special. One chef shares his secret for getting the breading extra crispy, while another talks about the importance of using high-quality meat.

Beyond city chicken, the episode also touches on other classic Cleveland dishes and ingredients, including pierogi, kielbasa, and sauerkraut. Chef Symon even takes viewers to a pierogi festival, where he samples dozens of different types of the doughy filled dumplings.

Throughout the show, Chef Symon's passion for Cleveland and its culinary heritage shines through. He clearly loves the city and its food, and viewers get a real sense of why the region is so special.

Overall, "Classic Cleveland 'City Chicken'" is a great episode for anyone interested in midwestern cuisine or regional American cooking. With its focus on an iconic dish and the city that made it famous, the show is both entertaining and informative, offering viewers a taste of a unique culinary tradition.