Recipe: Pljeskavica (Balkan-style burger) from Chef Adi Komic of Krupana

Provided by Krupana The grill-friendly take on pljeskavica from Chef Adi Komic of Bosnian comfort food pop-up Krupana is a cross between a Balkan hamburger and an American smashburger This burger has been a staple since day one of the pop-up but sometimes I ll intentionally leave it off the menu just to force people to get something else Komic announced The term pljeskavica refers to the meat patty which varies throughout the Balkan peninsula In Bosnia it s typically made from beef seasoned with paprika and black pepper but it can also be a mixture of beef and pork lamb or veal Serbian pljeskavica for example usually includes a mixture of minced beef pork and lamb The patty is topped with ajvar a relish-like spread containing roasted sweet bell peppers and eggplant garlic oil and vinegar then kajmak a tangy Balkan creamy cheese and diced raw onions Related stories The top five recipes Rough Draft readers raved about in Other recipes from the Rough Draft archivesWhile pljeskavica is served on lepinja flatbread Komic opts for an American-style hamburger bun particularly Martin s potato rolls Komic still tops his pljeskavica with traditional ingredients including kajmak and onions along with homemade burger sauce and a peppery slaw I ve dependably thought that the American smashburger is just the pinnacle of burgers Komic mentioned So this brings those two together Check out the recipe for Komic s take on pljeskavica Balkan-style burger below Burger ingredients oz ground beef cup peppery slaw slice American cheese tbsp kajmak a creamy Balkan cheese you can find at Stella Mart in Lawrenceville tbsp burger sauce Sliced raw yellow onion slices of dill pickles Burger bun of choiceBurger sauce ingredients cup mayo cup ketchup tbsp yellow mustard tsp Dijon mustard oz pickle juice Salt and pepper to tasteSlaw ingredients cup shredded cabbage cup red wine vinegar tbsp pepper Salt to tasteMake the sauce Mix all ingredients together Set aside Make the slaw Mix all the ingredients together and set aside Slaw should be heavily peppered Burger directionsSet grill to to degrees Form ounces of beef into a patty about inches in diameter Expect specific shrinkage on the grill Place patty in refrigerator unseasoned allowing it to tighten while the grill heats up Once grill is ready heavily salt burger and place it on the grill moving and flipping periodically to ensure a little char Use a meat thermometer to gauge the patty s internal temperature Komic pulls his burgers when patties reach degrees Fahrenheit yielding a medium burger One minute before pulling burger from grill smear the kajmak across the patty and top it with a slice of American cheese Let cheese melt about one minute Remove patty from grill and let rest The cheese will continue to melt Meanwhile toast buns Spread burger sauce on both buns Place peppery slaw on the bottom bun then add cheesy patty sliced raw onions and pickles Top with a bun The post Recipe Pljeskavica Balkan-style burger from Chef Adi Komic of Krupana appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta