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Pljeskavica

Name: Pljeskavica
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Serbia
Ingredients: 600g Mixed ground meat; 2 Onion; 1 clove Garlic; 1 tsp Paprika; 1 tsp Salt; A pinch Black Pepper; 3 tbsp Sparkling water; A pinch Vegetable oil; 4 (round rolls) Bread; 4 tbsp Plain yogurt

Main Dish

⏱ 40 min

👥 Serves 4

Difficulty ⭐

Mixed beef and pork stretched into a big flat patty and grilled charcoal-style — Serbia's signature meat dish.

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📖 The Story Behind This Dish

Pljeskavica is said to come from Leskovac in southern Serbia: ground meat flattened to as much as 20cm across and grilled. Ground beef, pork, and lamb are kneaded well with onion and salt and grilled over charcoal until fragrant. It's classically tucked into a round bread (lepinja) with chopped raw onion, ajvar, and kajmak, and it's a popular street-stall dish.

🌆 Where it's eaten: At the Leskovac grill festival, crowds gather at smoky stalls to bite into big pljeskavica tucked into round bread.

🥕 Ingredients (serves 4)

Mixed ground meat 600g
Onion 2
Garlic 1 clove
Paprika 1 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Black Pepper A pinch
Sparkling water 3 tbsp
Vegetable oil A pinch
Bread 4 (round rolls)
Plain yogurt 4 tbsp

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Finely chop 1 onion and knead with the ground meat, grated garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, and sparkling water until sticky, then rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
Divide into 4 and press each into a thin round about 15cm across with your palms.
Lightly oil a frying pan or grill pan and cook over medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes per side.
Finely chop the remaining onion.
Tuck the patties into warm round bread and serve with chopped onion and yogurt.

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