If ćevapčići and ćufte have their own articles, a pljeska merits nothing less. Its real name is pljeskavica, because the meat is kneaded between palms, as for an applause (ser. pljesak; pljeskati - to clap hands).
When explaining to foreigners what is it, the usual spiel is „just like a hamburger, except it isn't - the meat must be a mix of younger beef and pork, and must contain minced onion“. As that riot cop meditated while stretching a protester's face, „fuck Belgrade, the women have no morals and the pljeskavice no onion, I'm going back to Mrčajevci“. Because to a brzožder (v. house dictionary) it's too complicated to keep both the simple burger mix and this for pljeske, so they have only the former, it's easier to make, and sell it under whichever name the customer orders. These would soon lose reputation, but there's enough of those on prominent locations where the reputation doesn't mean much, there's one born every minute, or the many who don't care which is it.
Traditional relish on it was only chopped onion, as a salad. But ever since the times when DBA's office was in Dom, I got used to the contemporary brzožders, where the meat and the somun (a misnomer, this bun is actually a lepinja, somun is pizza sized) were the mandatory part, and for the rest you pick what you want. At this time (2024) the standard list of these add-ons has kečap (ketchup), majonez (mayonnaise), mustard, urnebes (young cheese with ground hot pepper), cream (sour), shredded cabbage, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers (fresh and pickled), crushed hot pepper. Some places may have more. The add-ons are free of charge, except kajmak in some places. Fries, if anyone wants, is a separate item, doesn't go into the bun.
On the current roster, there's a elementary-or-highschool-student's (v. school levels) of 100g of meat (measured raw, loses about 20% on the barbecue), small of 150, medium of 200 and large of 250. Leskovačka (by Leskovac recipe, with crushed hot peppers in the meat) comes at standard 250g.
The barbecue is a matter of dispute. Good joints do it on charcoal only; there are the second-rate ones which do it on a hotplate heated by electricity or gas. The hotplate usually means they also pour vegetable oil, which is a big no-no among connoisseurs.
10-IX-2024 - 30-VI-2026