Pljeskavica

Pljeskavica is a large, flat patty of minced beef and pork, seasoned with paprika and onion and grilled until cooked through. It is a Serbian dish, also made in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and North Macedonia, where it is served in much the same way.

What it really is

Minced beef and minced pork are mixed with onion, paprika and salt, then shaped by hand into a thick round and pressed out wide and flat, often wider than the bread it is served in. The patty is grilled until the outside is browned and the middle is cooked through. The mix is only meat, onion, paprika and salt, so any wheat or milk on the plate comes from what sits beside it. The ratio of beef to pork and the fat content differ from one kitchen to the next, which makes the meat blend worth stating on a menu.

How it's served

• Hot from the grill, usually in a round lepinja, a soft flatbread.
• With kajmak, a thick, creamy dairy spread, and raw onion alongside.
• With ajvar, a red pepper relish, which is often served on the side or spread on the bread.
• Eaten by hand, folded into the bread, or cut and eaten with a knife and fork from a plate.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the meat as beef and pork, give the patty weight, and state the blend if you know it.
• Flag wheat in the lepinja, and milk in the kajmak if you serve it.
• Say that the patty is made from meat, onion, paprika and salt, so guests with a dairy or wheat allergy know where the risk sits.
• List lepinja, raw onion and ajvar as the standard accompaniments, and say whether fries or salad cost extra.
• Say the patty is cooked through, since pork is part of the mix.