Pljeskavica recipe

Mixed minced meat kneaded with sparkling water, rested overnight and grilled as one wide flat patty served inside lepinja with kajmak and ajvar.

12 hours and 40 minutesmedium12 ingredients

Ingredients

• 300 g ground beef
• 200 g ground pork
• 150 g ground lamb
• 2 onions
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 100 ml sparkling water
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 4 lepinja flatbread
• 8 tbsp kajmak
• 8 tbsp ajvar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

How to make Pljeskavica

1. Put 300 g of ground beef, 150 g of ground pork and 150 g of ground lamb in a bowl with 1 grated onion, 1 tbsp of paprika, 2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of black pepper and 1 tsp of baking soda. The baking soda is what gives the springy Balkan texture.
2. Knead for 8-10 minutes, adding 100 ml of sparkling water little by little, until the mix turns sticky and holds together like a paste.
3. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours, up to 24. Skipping this rest gives you a plain burger, not a pljeskavica.
4. Divide into 4 balls of about 160 g. With wet hands, slap each one into a disc 15-18 cm wide and only 1.5 cm thick, wider than the bread it will sit in.
5. Grill over hot charcoal or a very hot dry pan, with no oil: the meat carries enough fat.
6. Cook 4-5 minutes on the first side without pressing, then flip and give it 3-4 minutes more.
7. Warm 4 lepinja flatbreads at the edge of the grill and split them open.
8. Spread 8 tbsp of kajmak inside each bread, add the patty, then 8 tbsp of ajvar and plenty of raw chopped onion.

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