Pljeskavica is a Balkan signature dish. It’s nothing else but a beef/pork grilled burger. It’s perfect in its own simplicity. It is often served in a pita bread, with veggies and milk kajmak. We’ll talk about kajmak some other time.
I ate this delicious burger for the first time when I was about 4 years old. I remember vividly that my mother brought me pljeskavica from Novi Sad (Serbia). She also brought me that day a box of Cipiripi chocolate and a bucket literally a big, fat bucket) of Eurocrem spread. I can’t remember whether I liked pljeskavica or not. Obviously, I was mesmerized by the chocolate. I felt in love with pljeskavica 3 years ago. We were in Belgrade, two block from Kalemegdan and we saw this teeny tiny bistro. We took a place at a table and that was the moment when I tasted perfection for the first time.
Burger
- 1 kg ground meat (1/2 beef and 1/2 pork)
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 3 Tbsp sparkling water
- 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper
Method:
- Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Divide meat mixture into 6 balls and flatten each ball on an oiled work surface.
- Heat grill or a skillet on high heat and brown each burger on both sides (about 3 minutes on each side).
Pita bread:
Ingredients:
- 2 + ½ cups strong white flour
- 1 cup lukewarm water (between 36 and 38°C)
- 1 + ½ tsp salt
- 1 + ½ Tbsp olive oil
- 1 yeast satchel
Method:
- Mix together 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of water and yeast and leave aside for 10 minutes (this technique will activate the yeast).
- Add remaining flour, salt and olive oil and mix until combined.
- Knead dough for 10 minutes on a floured working surface.
- Put the dough back in the mixing bowl, cover it and let it rise until doubled in volume (about 1 hour).
- Put the dough back on the floured working surface and knead for 1 minute.
- Divide dough into 8 balls, cover them with a towel and let them rise for 30 minutes.
- Roll out each ball on the floured working surface until 5 mm thick.
- Cook each pita in a skillet on medium –high heat on both sides until golden.
Aromatic kajmak
Ingredients:
- 150g kajmak
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
- ¼ tsp chopped fresh chilli
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- salt and peper
Method: Mix well all the ingredients until combined.
