I take no credit for this recipe – I straight up stole it from my father. He found it (in this blog, which really deserves all the credit), he made it, and he made it again (and again) when we kept asking for it. (Also: how did my father end up on a food blog??). It’s everything I want from a simple chicken dish: sweet and spicy, bright and tasty, with a little bit of sauce that tastes great on everything (rice, potatoes, the salad next to the chicken on the plate). To be fair, the sugar that goes into the sauce may have something to do with how good it is. It also helps that the chicken is tenderized by being beaten with a mallet (or an ice cream scoop or a rolling pin). In these pandemic times when we are all still stuck at home, pounding chicken breasts is also a great way to let out some pent-up frustration. (But be careful – I was a bit too enthusiastic and chipped a plate).

I wanted to use this recipe now because I think it’s important to talk about labor conditions in the meatpacking industry during this pandemic. The media has covered the issue pretty well, but it’s still worth emphasizing the risks inherent in working in these plants – both during the pandemic and before.