Oprah Winfrey's gal pal Gayle was on the show today working her way through GQ's list of "20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die." The burger at Peter Luger's in Brooklyn, which combines porterhouse trimmings and chuck, took second place in the rankings. Sadly, one of my favorite ethnic burgers in New York City, the Bosna Burger, or pljeskavica, did not make the list.
So mindbogglingly good is this gargantuan gutbuster that last Saturday, two friends and I undertook the three-mile walk from Rego Park to Ridgewood to get our pljeskavica on. I've only been able to finish this 10-ouncer on one prior occasion and was amazed that my buddy pictured above took it down.The hubcap-sized burger barely fits onto the plastic plate it's served on. In between the fluffy toasted megapita sits a succulent discus of beef and lamb slathered with kajmak, a thick rich cheese that tastes like a combination of yogurt and sour cream, and ajvar, a spicy bright orange pepper paste. Lest you forget to eat your veggies, there's a mixture of green and peppers, lettuce and onions scattered across the top. I find there's no difference whether I eat it whole or sliced in quarters. Either way it's a gloriously messy, delicious experience.
When the guy at the counter told me that every town in Bosnia has its own take on the pljeskavica I almost fell over. I've got my fingers crossed that a humongous cheeseburger version makes it to the States.
Bosna Express: 791 Fairview Ave., Ridgewood, N.Y., (718) 497-7577
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