Taste that is remembered: Karadjordje's steak

There is almost no person who walked down the Belgrade's streets without receiving a recommendation on what to eat. Among the proposals there is always a very special suggestion - Karadjordje's steak. The unique taste of meat fascinates and wins at the first bite. Try it.

National cuisine restaurants are the right places to eat this steak. It does not "stand" any modern innovations. It should always be prepared according to the original recipe. It is not an old Serbian dish, but an invention of one of the best cooks. Milovan Mica Stojanovic quite accidentally came up with a specialty that many people say is their favourite.

In 1956, at the time, the young chef in a restaurant was ordered to prepare the "Kiev Chops". He did not have all the necessary ingredients for preparation, but did not want to damage the reputation of the restaurant. He decided to change his meal and thus changed the gastronomic history. He took a piece of veal steak, put kaymak (a creamy dairy product) in it, rolled it and decorated it in the shape of Karadjordje's star. He brought it himself to the guest he was preparing it for. When she asked how the dish she got was called, he answered quickly Karadjordje's steak. The guest was Tamara Broz, Tito's daughter-in-law and the presenter of "Radio Belgrade". The official premiere of the steak was held at the exhibition of catering in the Youth Center of Belgrade.

The creator proposed to serve it with tartare sauce from mayonnaise and pickles, lemon, potatoes and green beans. The steak is served on the oval plate and a lemon ring is placed on it, which symbolizes the Karadjordje's star, and the mayonnaise is placed so as to represent the ribbon. It is hard to find it with the original side dish today. Baked potatoes replaced cooked ones. It is not inexcusable if the chef does not know how to decorate it by the rule. However, if the type of meat used for preparation and the way of serving are changed, it is no longer Karadjordje's steak. Mica suggests that you always drink a cool white wine with the steak.

The inspiration for the name came from the desire to enrich the Serbian menu with the names of important figures. He has already traveled a lot for the world's catering competitions. He realized that we only have five national dishes. He wanted to meet the world with Serbian tastes and designed over 200 dishes bearing the name of prominent people. In addition to the well-known Karadjordje's steak, his works include Njegus steak, Tesla's veal, Oplenac (Sumadija's) pancakes and Smederevsko djule (Smederevo's cannonball), Gagarin soup, Gruzanska potato soup and many more.

Mica Stojanovic is a world champion in cooking. In his five decades long career, he prepared incredible portions, and the list of satisfied guests is more than impressive. Josip Broz Tito, Winston Churchill, Muammar Gaddafi, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Rockefeller, Richard Nixon, Kennedy and many others. Although retired, he is active in the kitchen and helps his son in a family restaurant. The culinary professor won many awards at international competitions and presented his skills in 72 countries. His specialties are now served in exclusive restaurants in Japan, America and Russia.