Recipe
🍽️ DINNER
Njeguški Stek
Montenegro's signature steak: a thin veal or pork cutlet stuffed with Njeguši prosciutto and cheese, pan-seared until the cheese melts.
Montenegrin · medium · serves 4
prep 20 min · cook 20 min
~488 cal · 25g protein · 30g carbs · 30g fat · 4g fiber · 2g sugars · 16g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Njeguški stek comes from the mountain village of Njeguši above Cetinje, the cradle of Montenegrin meats. A thin veal or pork cutlet is folded around slices of Njeguši pršut, the region's prized smoked prosciutto, and Njeguši cheese, then seared until the outside browns and the cheese inside turns molten.
Devised in the 1980s by celebrated chef Milovan Stojanović and quickly adopted as a national dish, it is essentially Montenegro's answer to cordon bleu, lifted by a little wild thyme. It is served sliced on the diagonal with roast potatoes and a spoon of kajmak melting over the top.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, nut- and egg-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
4 veal or pork cutlets, pounded thin
8 slices Njeguši pršut (smoked prosciutto), sliced
4 oz semi-hard cheese (Njeguši or kashkaval), sliced or grated
1 tsp fresh or dried thyme
2 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 1/2 lb potatoes, for roasting
1/4 cup kajmak or clotted cream, to serve
to taste salt and pepper
Instructions
1
Roast the potatoes in a hot oven with a little oil and salt until golden.
2
Pound the cutlets thin and season. Lay 2 slices of pršut and some cheese on one half of each, sprinkle with thyme, and fold the cutlet over like a book, pressing the edges to seal.
✎ Chef’s note
Beat the edges well so they close, or secure with a toothpick, so the cheese stays in rather than leaking.
3
Heat the oil or butter in a ridged pan and sear the stuffed steaks over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.
4
Rest a couple of minutes, then slice on the diagonal.
5
Serve with the roast potatoes, a spoon of kajmak melting over the top.
Njeguši, Montenegro tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Cetinje. The cheese beside it is not simply hard cheese. Sir iz mijeha is sheep cheese matured inside a skin bag, sharp and crumbly, while tvrdi sir is the firm aged one. Njegusi itself, on the Lovcen road above Kotor, is also the home village of the Petrovic dynasty.
🗺️
Montenegro. Kacamak is the mountain dish, cornmeal or a mix of corn and potato beaten with young cheese and kajmak until it turns glossy and pulls away from the pot. It is cooked under a sac, the bell-shaped lid buried in embers that Croatia calls a peka and Kosovo uses for flija, which is the tool the whole region shares.
🌍
Europe. European cooking is built on the land and the seasons, wheat, butter, and cured pork in the north; olive oil, tomatoes, and seafood around the Mediterranean; preserved vegetables and hearty stews through long winters. Centuries of peasant tradition, guild craft, and royal courts refined techniques from French mother sauces to Italian fresh pasta and Central European baking. Regional identity runs remarkably deep, with a single dish often changing from one valley to the next.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Montenegro
KačamakWhipped cornmeal-and-potato mash beaten with young cheese and clotted kaymak until glossy and rich.
PriganiceSmall, airy fried dough puffs served with honey, cheese, and jam, a Montenegrin breakfast treat.
Punjene PaprikeBell peppers stuffed with spiced rice and meat, braised in tomato sauce, a comforting Montenegrin household staple.
Browse all Montenegro recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Oven.
Storing it: Stews and braises keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated and often taste better the next day. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
Make it a Montenegro meal
RožataDessert
Punjene PaprikeLunch
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Frequently asked questions
What is Njeguški Stek?
Montenegro's signature steak: a thin veal or pork cutlet stuffed with Njeguši prosciutto and cheese, pan-seared until the cheese melts.
Where does Njeguški Stek come from?
Njeguški Stek is a Montenegrin dish from Cetinje, Montenegro.
Can Njeguški Stek be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Njeguški Stek recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Njeguški Stek safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Njeguški Stek take to make?
About 40 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 20 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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