Name: Punjena pljeskavica
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 1 h 13 min
Yield: 4 large stuffed patties
Cuisine: Serbian
Ingredients: 600 g ground beef chuck — well chilled; two-thirds of the meat blend; 300 g ground pork shoulder — well chilled; one-third of the meat blend; 14 g fine salt — seasoning and protein extraction; 3 g ground black pepper — seasoning; 3 g sweet paprika — seasoning; 160 g semi-hard cow's-milk cheese — made from pasteurized milk; cut into four compact portions; stuffing; 15 ml sunflower oil — for lightly oiling the grill pan if needed; surface fat

Yield 4 large stuffed patties

Preparation time 25 minutes

Cooking time 18 minutes

Passive time 30 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Punjena pljeskavica with a beef-pork blend and molten cheese centre

Punjena pljeskavica takes the broad, flattened shape of a grill patty and adds a hidden centre that changes how it must be shaped and cooked. The outside should still eat like a pljeskavica rather than a meatloaf: a cohesive mince with direct grilled flavour, broad browned surfaces and enough fat to stay succulent. Inside, a compact portion of semi-hard cheese melts into a defined pocket rather than disappearing through the meat.

Stuffed versions appear with many combinations of mince, cheese and cured meat. A two-to-one ratio of ground beef chuck to ground pork shoulder gives these patties a consistent texture. Beef supplies the stronger grilled-meat character; pork contributes fat and tenderness. Salt, black pepper and sweet paprika season the blend without turning it into a highly spiced sausage mixture.

The meat is mixed only until it becomes slightly tacky. That small change in texture matters: completely loose mince will split around a filling, while aggressively worked mince can become bouncy and tight. A 30-minute chill after mixing firms the fat and makes the eight discs easier to shape. Four become the bases, four the lids, and the cheese is kept well away from the perimeter before the rims are pressed together.

Cheese complicates doneness because it gets hot and soft before the surrounding ground meat is necessarily safe. A probe pushed through the middle can land in molten filling and give a misleading reading. The thermometer therefore enters through the side and is positioned in the thickest meat beside the cheese pocket. Each patty must reach at least 71.1 °C in that meat; a brown crust or visibly melted cheese cannot replace the measurement.

Medium-high grill heat gives enough browning while leaving time for heat to reach the stuffed centre. If the exterior colours too quickly, lowering the heat is better than repeatedly pressing the patty, which only expels juices and stresses the seal. A wide spatula supports the whole patty during turning. Once the temperature is confirmed, the pljeskavica can go directly to a clean plate and be served while the cheese remains fluid.

Practical

ControlKeep the mince cold while mixing and shaping.
ControlMake the cheese portion compact and leave a broad meat border for sealing.
ControlInsert the thermometer into meat beside the filling rather than through molten cheese.

Ingredients

Meat mixture

600 g ground beef chuck — well chilled; two-thirds of the meat blend
300 g ground pork shoulder — well chilled; one-third of the meat blend
14 g fine salt — seasoning and protein extraction
3 g ground black pepper — seasoning
3 g sweet paprika — seasoning

Filling and grill

160 g semi-hard cow's-milk cheese — made from pasteurized milk; cut into four compact portions; stuffing
15 ml sunflower oil — for lightly oiling the grill pan if needed; surface fat

Directions

Mix and chill

Season the beef-pork mixturePlace 600 g cold ground beef chuck and 300 g cold ground pork shoulder in a chilled bowl. Add 14 g fine salt, 3 g black pepper and 3 g sweet paprika. Mix for 8 minutes only until the mince is evenly seasoned and begins to hold together when pressed. The meat mixture is ready when the seasonings are evenly dispersed and the mince holds together when pressed.
Chill for cleaner shapingCover the meat and refrigerate for 30 minutes at 4 °C. Keep the cheese chilled as well; cold ingredients make the seam easier to form cleanly. The mixture should be thoroughly cold and firm enough to flatten without smearing.

Fill the patties

Seal the cheese insideDivide the meat into eight equal portions and flatten each between sheets of parchment. Put one of four compact 40 g portions of pasteurized semi-hard cheese in the centre of four discs. Cover with the remaining discs and press all around the perimeter until no cheese is visible. Use up to 15 ml sunflower oil only to prevent sticking on a grill pan if needed. No cheese should be visible and the sealed rim should be the same thickness as the rest of each patty.

Grill to temperature

Grill to the ground-meat endpointCook the four stuffed patties over medium-high grill heat for about 18 minutes in total, turning for even colour. Insert an instant-read thermometer from the side into the thickest meat beside the cheese, not through the pocket. The meat portion is done when the thermometer reads at least 71.1 °C at the coolest point away from the cheese pocket. The cheese may be melted before the meat reaches a safe temperature, so melted filling is not a doneness test.

Practical

Serving

Move cooked patties to a clean platter with a clean spatula. They need no cutting test once the thermometer endpoint has been verified; slicing immediately simply releases the cheese.

Preparing ahead

The patties can be shaped several hours before cooking. Keep them covered at 4 °C or below and separate layers with parchment so the seals are not pulled apart.

Leftovers

Refrigerate cooked pljeskavica within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days. Reheat leftovers to 74 °C. A covered pan followed by a brief uncovered finish helps heat the centre without drying the exterior.

Cheese substitution

Another pasteurized semi-hard cheese with a similar moisture level can be used. Very soft cheese is more likely to leak, while a dry hard cheese produces less of the molten pocket expected here.

Control points

Filling escapesGuidance: The cheese touches the rim or the seam is thinner than the centre.Adjustment: Use a compact filling portion and press a broad, even seal.
Outside is browned before the centre is safeGuidance: The grill is excessively hot for the patty thickness.Adjustment: Lower the heat and continue cooking until the meat reaches 71.1 °C.

Nutrition

Serving size1 of 4 stuffed patties
Calories705 kcal
Carbohydrates1 g
Protein49 g
Fat56 g
Fibre0 g
Sodium1380 mg

These values are approximate; ingredient brands, trimming, frying absorption and exact portioning can change the final figures as applicable.

Allergens and food safety

Contains milk. Check packaged paprika and cheese for any additional labelled allergens. Ground beef and pork must reach 71.1 °C as measured with a food thermometer. Measure in the meat away from the cheese pocket; colour and melted cheese are not reliable safety indicators. Keep raw patties at 4 °C or below and prevent raw-meat utensils from touching ready-to-eat foods.

FAQ

Why did the cheese escape?

The filling was probably too close to the edge or the rim was thinner than the rest of the patty. Keep a broad meat border and press it to an even thickness.

Can colour tell when the pljeskavica is done?

No. Ground meat can brown before or after it reaches a safe internal temperature; the food thermometer reading in the meat is the control.

Result: The cooked patty is deeply browned outside, cohesive but juicy through the mince and filled with a molten cheese centre that remains inside the seal.

Key: Shape a broad, even meat rim and measure 71.1 °C in the meat away from the cheese pocket; the filling's appearance does not establish doneness.