Karadjordje’s schnitzel
Karađorđeva šnicla (Karadjordje’s schnitzel) Dish is named by the serbian prince Karadjordje and represents real royal meal! Schnitzel can be veal or pork which is rolled and stuffed with kajmak and after that it’s breaded and fried. It’s definitely must try meal while you are in Belgrade. Ingredients: 500 g boneless pork steaks, 150 g kajmak (Serbian creamy dairy product) – you can use some cream cheese instead, 2 eggs, flour, bread crumbs, salt. Preparation: Pound pork steaks untill they are thin and soft and on each steak put a little kajmak (or cream cheese). Wrap the meat into the rolls and secure each piece with a toothpick. Coat the steaks in the flour, then dip them into beaten eggs and finally roll in bread crumbs. Fry in hot oil untill golden yellow. Link to video
Pljeskavica
Pljeskavica (“serbian hamburger”) One of the most famous Serbian food among the locals and for tourists as well is Pljeskavica. Grilled and spiced meat (mixture of pork, beef or a lamb) is served in somun or lepinja (types of the flatbread). You can ask for ajvar, onions, kajmak to go with this dish, you wont regret it. This days pljeskavica is popular in Europe and worldwide as well, so you can order it on many fast food stands. Sounds great? Ingredients 1 pound ground beef chuck 1/2 pound lean ground pork 1/2 pound lean ground lamb 2 cloves finely chopped garlic 1/2 cup finely chopped onions 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon sweet or hot paprika Whole green onions Chopped raw onion Tomato slices Ajvar Lepinje or Pogacha bread Steps to Make It In a large bowl, mix together ground beef, ground pork, ground lamb, garlic, onions, salt, and sweet or hot paprika until thoroughly combined. Do not overmix because this will toughen the meat. Refrigerate meat mixture for several hours for the flavors to meld and for the mixture to firm. Heat a grill, indoor grill, broiler or skillet. Using slightly dampened hands, divide meat mixture into 6 portions. Form into thin patties, 9 inches by 1/2 inch or about the size of a small dinner plate. Cook pljeskavice about 7 minutes per side. Serve with green onions or chopped raw onion, tomatoes, ajvar, lepinje or pogacha bread and Serbian potato salad or coleslaw on the side. Some Serbs place the patty on a large bun like an American hamburger. Link to video
Chvarci
Variant of a pork rinds, it’s a pork crisps or chips made of fat thermally extracted from the lard. Popular in balkan cuisine, you can find it in almost every household during the winter. Salty and crispy, it’s definitely something that you will love at the first bite. Ingredients: 5 kg bacon 1 liter water 2 teaspoons salt Preparation: Wash the bacon well with water to remove any blood. Cut bacon into cubes with size 2 x 2 cm. Place the cubes in a deeper pot and add about 1 liter of water so about 3/4 of the pieces of bacon would be immersed. Put the pot on a strong fire until the water starts to boil and stir occasionally to avoid burning. When water starts to boil, lower the temperature and continue to boil at moderate temperatures again with occasional stirring. During this time the liquid will first become blurry (emulsion from grease and water), and then it will be become clear and it will turn into a fat which you'll later use instead of cooking oil. After about 2-3 hours when the liquid becomes clear, drain the fat in another pot. Continue to fry the cracklings in the same pot until they get a nice golden-brown color. Remember to stir constantly so they don't burn. When the cracklings get their color, again remove the fat and continue to fry them for 10 more minutes. After frying, squeeze them again to drain as much ointment as possible. Transfer the squeezed djimirinki into a separate dish and add the salt and mix well. Serve them hot. Enjoy! Link to video
Kajmak
Kajmak- Also traditional serbian dish, and best one is made in private households, and you can always find it at our food markets (pijaca on serbian). It’s made of unpasteurized and unhomogenized milk – like some type of unripened and “new” cheese. Gets along perfectly with cevapcici or with any other meat dish, or you can eat it by itself with flatbread. Ingredients 2 quarts unpasteurized, unhomogenized (raw) cow milk (or sheep milk) 1 teaspoon salt Steps to Make It Gather the ingredients. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a rolling boil. Turn off heat and let cool completely without stirring (4 to 5 hours). Skim off the cream that has accumulated on top and refrigerate. Repeat the boiling and cooling process several times, skimming off the cream and adding it to a container in the refrigerator. Add salt and mix well. Store in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Link to video
Mućkalica
Mućkalica Have you hosted a barbecue and are unsure what to do with all that delicious leftover grilled meat? Mućkalica is the only option! Well, it isn’t the only option, but you get our point. Mućkalica is a meat-and-vegetable stew, albeit one without an easily defined centre. Think of it like a barbecue and you’ll be in the right ballpark somewhat. Definitions are often irrelevant, as all that matters is how delicious mućkalica can be. Ingredients: 4 tablespoons butter or margarine 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 pounds pork tenderloin, thinly sliced and cut into long strips about 1/2 inch wide 3 medium onion, cut crosswise thinly and separated into rings 2 tablespoons flour 3 tablespoons hot paprika powder(cayenne powder) 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed, cut lengthwise into strips 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, cut lengthwise into strips 1 yellow bell pepper, seeds removed, cut lengthwise into strips 2-3 Serranos fresh or canned, cut crosswise into small rings 1 cup beef stock 3 tablespoons tomato paste 2-3 large garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1 bay leaf Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil together in a large pot. When the oil is very hot, add the pork in batches and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove pork. Add the remaining butter and oil to the drippings in the pan. When hot, add the onions and cook them over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they are soft and golden colored. Sprinkle the flour and paprika powder over the onions and cook for 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and add the pork and the sliced peppers, beef stock, tomato paste, minced garlic, salt, and bay leaf. Stir to mix well. (There will seem to be not enough liquid in the mixture, but don't panic and add more stock. As the paprika cooks, it will release plenty of moisture.) Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and let the muckalica simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Stir the mixture occasionally. Serve muchkalica with white rice or mashed potatoes and a green salad. Link to video