Name: Pleskavica (Balkan ground meat steak)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 200 gr. or 7 oz of ground meat: beef or/and veal; 1 clove of garlic; 1/4 very finely chopped or grated onion; splash of sparkling water; a pinch of soda bicarbonate (baking soda); 1 tsp of salt; 1 tsp of black pepper; a pinch of paprika powder; pinch of flour (optional); garnish: 1 green onion

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Region: The Balkans
Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia

Pleskavica

Balkan ground meat steak/Balkan burger

Pljeskavica/Пљескавица (BCMS)
Плескавица (Macedonian)
Peskavica, Pleskavica (Albanian)

Applause!

Pleskavica/плескавица (Serbian) or pljeskavica (Croatian, Bosnian, Montenegrin) is the Balkan version of a juicy and satisfying burger. This ground meat steak or patty is named after the verb “pleskati/pljeskati”, which means ‘to applaud’ or ‘to clap’, referring to the actions involved in forming the patties.

Today, pleskavica is predominantly crafted from beef, though blends like beef/veal, beef/lamb or beef and pork also hit the spot.

You’ll find pleskavica served up in various grades. It’s the go-to grub at fast-food joints or street stalls, but top-notch traditional eateries, masters of the charcoal grill, also boast their own tantalizing versions.

Pairing pleskavica with flatbread is a given, alongside tasty companions like kajmak (cream cheese), ajvar (grilled pepper relish), and raw onions. In fancier joints, expect sides like potatoes, green onions, grilled veggies, mushrooms, or even white beans in tomato sauce.

What’s awesome about pleskavica is its down-to-earth ingredients, making it a breeze to whip up at home. Just finely chop or grate some onion and garlic, add dashes of salt, black pepper, paprika, and maybe a pinch of baking soda for fluffiness. Oh, and a splash of fizzy water is often added to enhance the texture and fluffiness.

Personally, I achieve the tastiest results with just a pinch of salt, pepper, and a touch of onion. With only three ingredients, you need good quality meat and a good grill. Unlike ćevapčići, there’s no need for the meat to ferment; a perfectly shaped pljeka can hit the grill fresh after just 40 minutes of resting. For the best outcome, I recommend using the seasoning from the recipe below sparingly. When it comes to ćevapčići, I tend to be a bit more generous with the salt and pepper.

Variations

Besides making a regular pleskavica as presented in the recipe below, it’s super easy to kick things up a notch. The ljuta pleskavica is a spicier version with red chili flakes and/or finely chopped pepperoni mixed into the meat.

The gurmanska pleskavica is a patty enriched with cheese and mixed with smoked meat or ham, while the punjena pleskavica (stuffed pleskavica) consists of two patties with cheese (such as white cheese, cheddar, kajmak or kačkavalj), smoked meat, mushrooms, or a combination of these fillings sandwiched between them.

While meat is the main character in this dish and receives our undivided attention, we should not downplay the importance of bread here! Flatbread (somun or lepinje) is an unmistakable component and if you are going for the real deal, don’t leave it out! Wet your flatbread with beef broth and throw it on the grill (or on the grilled meat) to absorb the juices and get that typical grill flavor.

6 juicy tips

Don’t use (extra) lean ground meat. Fat adds to both taste and tenderness.

Planning to grind your own meat? Beautiful! Use neck and shoulder parts.

Use sparkling water and a pinch of soda bicarbonate for ultimate juiciness.

If you like spicy, add a finely chopped brined pepperoni to the mixture. Not spicy enough? Have a look at ljuta (spicy) pleskavica.

For the grinders, keep a little piece of fat (tallow) aside and grease your hot grill with it.

Grill on charcoal or real wood until medium grilled.

Pleskavica
(Balkan ground meat steak)

Recipe by Chef Franky BuzCourse: Main courseCuisine: BalkanDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

This recipe is good for 1 patty/ground meat steak made of 200 gr./7 oz of meat. This size/weight is a popular choice in kafanas (bistros) allover the Balkans. Divide the ingredient list by two for smaller (100 gr./3.5 oz) burgers.

Ingredients

200 gr. or 7 oz of ground meat: beef or/and veal
1 clove of garlic
1/4 very finely chopped or grated onion
splash of sparkling water
a pinch of soda bicarbonate (baking soda)
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of black pepper
a pinch of paprika powder
pinch of flour (optional)
garnish: 1 green onion

Directions

Add the ground meat to a big bowl and mix well. Don’t choose extra lean meat, some fat is definitely needed.
Press (or very finely grate) the garlic cloves and grate the onion. Add to the mixture.
Add soda bicarbonate, salt, black pepper and sweet paprika powder to the meat and mix it well. Flower is optional. Keep it to an absolute minimum with the seasoning.
Add a splash of sparkling water and mix one more time.
Shape the mixture into a thin patty and refrigerate for at least a few hours for the best taste and texture.
Before putting the meat to a hot grill/pan make sure that the patty is on room temperature. There is no need for oil or butter, but a bit of tallow (beef fat) can be used to grease the grill.
Grill the meat for 2 minutes on each side. Grill for 4 minutes until medium cooked. If possible lower the temperature after the first 2 minutes.
Before serving, sprinkle some beef broth on a flatbread and add them to the grill/pan. Do this in the last phase of preparing.
Serve with flatbread and a side of kajmak or ajvar.