Eating and comparing Cornish Game Hen

This weekend I had a very enjoyable meal at Casa De Samuel, the esteemed GNR recipient. The meal was notable for some non-food items. As usual, and even at 7 on a Saturday evening, the place was not very busy. Maybe 4 or 5 tables occupied, mostly 1-4 people, though we were a raucous party of 10. Did try the pitchers of Margaritas this time and was not terribly happy with that. Too sweet, not enough fresh/real juice flavor for me.

There was a Quinceañera party in the basement, so they were doing some business. There was a duet performing Mexican standards for the small crowd, doing it surprisingly well, if way too loudly for the sparse crowd. Most incongruous, CdS now offers valet parking, for the reasonable (of course) price of $5, at least on Saturday night.

The high point of the food was the Cornish Game Hen, which I had in an excellent red salsa. A little spicy, breaded bird with the normal sides of beans, rice and salad (lettuce and cucumbers in a very mild cream dressing with what looked to me like tiny chunks of ham, though other members of our party claimed theirs were tomato - got me, but either way the whole salad was pretty bland).

I really liked that bird and as I enthused to a fellow LTH'er about that the next day, he smartly replied, "Go to Al-Khyam and try theirs." So I did that very thing.

The Lebanese bird had many advantages over the Mexican, starting with the menu description that reads something like "Little Lebanese Babe Chicken Kornish marinated secret recipe..." Lest someone think I am mocking this, I am not. I recognize the kindred nature of this menu English - similar to how I butcher ordering in numerous other languages, including Spanish as it happens. It heartens me to see that this is both comprehensible and a little charming.

The marinated and grilled bird is also sure to be healthier than the breaded and fried bird at Casa de Samuel, and if I had to choose only one cooking method for the rest of my life, grilling might well be the one. But the Lebanese bird was chopped into a form of interchangeable chicken knuckles before cooking, the bird was a touch drier than the CdS rendition, and it did not have the heroic complement of a good salsa rojo.

In the end, I cannot say one is better than the other. What I can say is that if the Game Hens offered at Al-Khyam and Casa de Samuel are not the best dishes at each place, they come close and I plan to go back to both to continue my research soon. I would not want to reach a hasty and ill-considered conclusion on this issue.

Having frequently consumed and rhapsodized about the Al Kayam CGH and never having tried the one at CdS, I feel an imperative coming over me. Unfortunately, the call of work will keep me away until at least next week.

David,

The farouj at Al-Khaymeih is one of my favorite poultry preparations in town:



I should definitely try Casa de Samuel.

Also of note in the cornish hen department is the stuffed variety at Hashalom:



Al-Khaymeih
4748 N. Kedzie
(773) 583-0999

Hashalom
2905 W. Devon Ave.
773-465-5675

Best,
Michael

One of the weekly specials I enjoy at What's Cooking? is the cornish hen, on Sunday. The nicely roasted and well seasoned meaty hen with crispy skin is stuffed with some of the best rice pilaf I've found in the city. [click on the image below to enlarge it]

Upon further review, I wish to revise my evaluation of the CdS Cornish. What I took to be a breaded and fried bird, once I started pulling apart the leftovers, really seems to be more a very heavy spice rub, and probably roasted, perhaps even grilled though not at all charred so I doubt that. Maybe there is some flour in with the rub? But I am pretty sure it was not fried as I originally guessed and if it is breaded, it is a very light breading.

When someone else samples it, I will be curious to hear what they think of the preparation, because I am still stumped. The easiest way to tell might be to have it just with garlic rather than the red or green salsa; that would only be preferable in the pursuit of knowledge, though, as the salsa rojo was a great complement to the bird.

dicksond wrote:The easiest way to tell might be to have it just with garlic rather than the red or green salsa; that would only be preferable in the pursuit of knowledge, though, as the salsa rojo was a great complement to the bird.

Would "salsa rojo on the side" compromise the dish? If not, I'll order it that way when I make my visit next week.

It has been some time since I have sampled CdS's hen, but closer to home at an easily overlooked taqueria on California just south of Fullerton I have really enjoyed the hen at Don Chema. This bird is chargrilled and succulent. They also do quail in the same style, though the smaller bird yields a higher bones-to-meat ratio as well as drier flesh. A great way to sample both is with their excellent parrillada, which also offers costillas de res and grilled nopales. Don Chema is a very surprising hole in the wall that I have been meaning to post about for some time. Their signage advertises "Estilo Michoacan", but there are many overlapping offerings with the Guerrense cuisine of CdS- the two Mexican states are neighbors after all. They serve salsa en molcajete- tableside prepped on weekends- and they also house make their tortillas. There are also more interesting meat options than the standard taqueria, such as an excellent birria plate which mirrors CdS's, served with guac and pico.

Don Chema
2331 N California Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 276-0522

I wasn't too impressed with the cornish hen at Kabob House. Cut into small pieces, it was cooked until charred and very dry. The kebabs were much better.





Kabob House
4835 N. Kedzie Ave.
Chicago
773/583-6695

stevez wrote:

dicksond wrote:The easiest way to tell might be to have it just with garlic rather than the red or green salsa; that would only be preferable in the pursuit of knowledge, though, as the salsa rojo was a great complement to the bird.

Would "salsa rojo on the side" compromise the dish? If not, I'll order it that way when I make my visit next week.

Have you gone yet, Steve? I pulled apart a leftover half of a hen and am still befuddled as to the cooking method. I am betting on deep fried or lightly breaded and roasted, but I am very unsure.

Yes, I would think the Salsa Rojo on the side would make it clear, but I would just ask them. This has become a bit of an obsession - I mean how often do you have a dish and you can't even figure out how it was cooked? Maybe I should be ashamed of my ignorance .

dicksond wrote:Have you gone yet, Steve?

Not yet, but thanks for the reminder. I'll try to get there this week.

I am not sure how to get a picture here but I will try to insert one from the website I found. I have just joined this forum and have really enjoyed all the great information. My husband and father-in-law just love reading all the information. Last week I was in Austin Texas visiting some friends and family and we went to an event catered by Mikeska's. These are the same ones that have the hot sausage at Smoque. They served smoked cornish game hens. They were so good. Mr. Mikeska had spoken with my father-in-law when he visited Smoque. We are all of czech heritage and he actually remembered us when I stopped to talk to him. He was so nice and I wanted his recipie for these cornish game hens. He said he puts 8 whole hens into a 5 gallon bucket and adds maple sugar cure mixed in water. He keeps them there for 3 days refrigerated and then seasons them with his bbq seasoning (dont know whats in it?) He then smokes them whole for 2.5 hours at 200 degrees using hard oak wood. He served them whole right out of the smoker that was on a trailer. It rotated like a big ferris wheel inside. There was about 300 guests there so this was a big smoker. This was the best poultry I have ever had. Does anyone know if there is a place here in or near the city that serves cornish game hens like this? The flavor was amazing.

Thanks
Carol

Welcome, Carol. I doubt anyone is smoking Cornish Game Hens around here since there is a pretty fierce and active BBQ contingent on LTHForum, and it seems highly unlikely that such a place would have gone unremarked.

I know a few members have experimented extensively with grilled hens, and I am certain someone will use your notes as a starting point to try smoking a few soon.

Thanks for the post.