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Pljeskavica
Large grilled meat patty
Пљескавица: Serbian giant grilled patty, stuffed with cheese
Leskovac, in southern Serbia, holds a whole grill festival every September in honour of pljeskavica, and Belgrade's street kiosks sell it day and night in a lepinja flatbread with chopped onion, kajmak and urnebes, a fiery cheese spread. It is a broad, thin patty of mixed beef and pork with onion and paprika, grilled hard and fast. The 'gourmet' version, gurmanska pljeskavica, hides cheese and bacon in the middle, and that is the version given here. This recipe contains pork. A common error is pressing the patties on the grill with a spatula: the juices drain away and they dry out. Chef's tip: press a shallow dimple into the centre of each patty with your thumb before grilling; it stops them doming up as they shrink.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the patties
- 1 ⅛ lb beef mince
- 10 ½ oz pork mince
- 1 onionvery finely chopped or grated
- 2 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
For the filling
- 4 oz feta or white sheep's cheesecrumbled
- 2 ⅛ oz smoked baconfinely chopped and fried
To serve
- 1 onion (optional)chopped
- 4 tbsp kajmak or thick sour cream (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb beef mince, 10 ½ oz pork mince, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp sweet paprika, ½ tsp chilli flakes, 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper with your hands for 3 minutes, until sticky. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
60 minStep 2: Divide into 8 equal balls. On baking paper, flatten each into a thin round about 14 cm across.
Step 3: Mix 4 oz feta or white sheep's cheese and 2 ⅛ oz smoked bacon. Spoon a quarter onto the centre of 4 rounds, leaving a 2 cm border, cover with the other 4 rounds and press the edges firmly to seal. Dimple each centre with your thumb.
5 minStep 4: Heat a grill or large griddle pan until very hot and brush with 1 tbsp sunflower oil. Cook the patties for 5–6 minutes per side, turning once, without pressing them, until deeply browned.
12 minStep 5: Check the meat at the thickest edge: no pink, and 160°F on a thermometer (the cheese will be molten). Rest 2 minutes.
2 minStep 6: Warm 4 lepinja or flatbreads on the grill, then fold each patty inside with 1 onion and 4 tbsp kajmak or thick sour cream.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 44 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pljeskavica take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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