Every year during summer's final burst, hundreds of thousands of people gather in Syracuse, New York, to attend the New York State Fair. In the midst of that fair's captivating shows, competitions, and vendors, Cornell Chicken established itself as a cornerstone of upstate New York summertime cuisine. With its golden-brown exterior and juicy, flavorful interior, Cornell Chicken is the epitome of grilled barbecue chicken for generations of New Yorkers.
Despite being so ubiquitous in the region and being named after Cornell University, Cornell Chicken wasn't even invented in New York. Instead, during his studies at Penn State, Robert Baker developed a vision of barbecue chicken that later became known as Cornell Chicken. After completing his master's at Penn State, Baker returned to New York and Cornell.
Baker's barbecue vision was publicized and popularized during his time there through decades of organized barbecues and state fair appearances. What makes Cornell Chicken so memorable? That it was developed at Penn State is one of many facts you should know about Cornell Chicken . But what else about this dish makes it so magnetically mouthwatering that even the Clintons gave it a presidential thumbs up? The answer could be the role that Robert Baker's barbecue sauce plays in creating the perfect Cornell Chicken.
In Baker's Information Bulletin 862 , published in 1950, he describes the process and recipe for Cornell Chicken — which he called charcoal-barbecued broilers at the.