History

Pane ca' meusa traces to medieval Palermitan Jewish butchers in the Giudecca quarter, who could not eat the pork that Sicilian Christians did. After the 1492 Spanish expulsion of Sicilian Jews, Christian butchers inherited the spleen-sandwich tradition; it has been sold at Palermo street counters continuously for 500 years. Antica Focacceria San Francesco has served it since 1834.

Common allergens: Gluten, Sesame, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 45 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Advanced

Ingredients

  • 500g veal spleen and lung (or beef spleen if veal unavailable)
  • 200g pork lard (or olive oil)
  • 4 sesame-seeded vastedda or sturdy round rolls
  • 150g caciocavallo cheese, sliced thin
  • 100g fresh ricotta
  • 2 lemons
  • Sea salt

Method

  1. Simmer the spleen and lung whole in salted water for 2 hours until tender. Drain and slice thinly.
  2. Heat lard or olive oil in a heavy pan to 160 degrees Celsius. Add the sliced offal and fry gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges crisp.
  3. Lift the offal out, draining briefly on paper. Salt lightly.
  4. Slice the vastedda rolls in half and stuff with the warm fried offal.
  5. For schietto, finish with lemon juice and salt. For maritato, add slices of caciocavallo and a spoon of ricotta.
  6. Eat immediately, standing if at all possible.

Tip from the editors. Pork lard gives the canonical Palermitan flavour; olive oil works for non-pork households but loses the authentic dimension.

Where to eat pane ca' meusa

Pane ca' meusa in Palermo

Pani Ca' Meusa Porta Carbone ★ 4.6

Sicilian€vucciria

Pani Ca' Meusa Porta Carbone on Via Cala in Palermo sells the canonical pane ca' meusa for 3 to 5 euros, fried spleen and lung in sesame buns.

Try: Pane ca' meusa (spleen sandwich)

Tip: Cash only. Maritato (with caciocavallo and ricotta) is 50 cents more.

Via Cala 62, 90133 Palermo

Nni Franco u' Vastiddaru ★ 4.4

Street food€kalsa

Franco u' Vastiddaru at Piazza Marina in Palermo serves pane con la milza, sfincione and the full Palermitan street food carte between 3 and 6 euros.

Try: Pane con la milza, sfincione

Tip: Cash works fastest. Maritato is the gateway to spleen sandwiches.

Via Vittorio Emanuele 102, 90133 Palermo

More cities are in research. Want pane ca' meusa covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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