Pani câ meusa is a sesame-seeded vastedda bun filled with veal spleen and lung boiled then fried in lard, eaten schettu (plain, with lemon) or maritatu (with caciocavallo or ricotta).

Medieval Jewish butchers in Palermo, who by religious rule could not be paid for slaughtering, kept the offal as their reward and resold it as a filling with bread and cheese. After their expulsion under Ferdinand II of Aragon, Palermo's caciottari carried the trade on. The sandwich is sold by meusari, many of them street vendors in markets such as the Vucciria and Ballarò. Antica Focacceria San Francesco says it was founded in 1834 and prepares the sandwich in its two historic versions, schietta and maritata.

Where to eat Pane ca' meusa in Palermo

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Make it at home

Serves 43 hrAdvanced

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.

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

Common allergens: Gluten, Sesame, Dairy.