Pljeskavica
(пљескавица)
Pljeskavica, a Serbian national dish also known as the Serbian hamburger, is a flat, round patty made from minced beef, pork, and veal, or a combination of the three, with the addition of selected seasonings such as paprika, salt and pepper, and in some cases, finely minced onions and garlic.
It is a simple dish that is hard to master, as the ratio of meat and fat is extremely important in the preparation process. Flavorful and juicy, the word pljeskavica comes from the word pljeskati, meaning to clap, since this is the motion made when forming the patties that are then grilled on both sides to a smoky brown color, with typical grill marks on both sides.
Traditionally, the meat is then placed inside a thick flatbread called lepinja, which is as equally important as the meat - it should not be too dry, cold, nor crumbly, but moist, springy, and warm. The perfect pljeskavica should be juicy, perfectly spiced, and preferably topped with kajmak–a rich, clotted, slightly salty, local cream cheese. Read more
Along with kajmak, the perfect accompaniments to the meat include finely chopped fresh onions, bell peppers, or pickled vegetables known as turšija, but the list of possible condiments is a long one, since pljeskavica pairs extremely well with a large number of different ingredients.
There are also two significant varieties of pljeskavica: one is called gourmand's pljeskavica and has hot pepper flakes, tiny cheese cubes, and pieces of bacon dispersed throughout the meat, and the other one is called stuffed pljeskavica with sliced cheese, bacon, and sometimes ham inside the meat.
