Name: Pani câ meusa
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 3 h 35 min
Cuisine: Italian, Sicilian
Ingredients: 600 g beef spleen, trimmed and rinsed; 350 g beef lung, cleaned by a butcher; 2.5 L water, or enough to cover; 1 onion, halved; 2 bay leaves; 2 tsp fine sea salt; 100 g pork lard; 6 soft sesame rolls, Palermo-style if available; 1 lemon, cut into wedges; 80 g aged caciocavallo, finely grated, optional for maritatu; 150 g fresh sheep’s-milk ricotta, optional for maritatu

Pani câ meusa: wide hero view of the finished traditional dish

Prep35 minutes

Cook2 h

Total3 h 35 min

Yield6 sandwiches

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The dish

About Pani câ meusa

Pani câ meusa belongs to Palermo’s historic street-food culture. The metropolitan tourism authority describes the filling as cooked spleen and lung, sliced and heated in lard before being tucked into a soft sesame roll.

Two serving names matter. Schietto means the sandwich is served without cheese, usually brightened with lemon; maritatu adds cheese, traditionally grated caciocavallo and sometimes ricotta.

The home-kitchen challenge is not seasoning but texture. The offal must be thoroughly cooked and chilled before slicing, because warm spleen is difficult to cut into the thin, irregular ribbons that characterize the sandwich.

The final lard bath is brief. It reheats and enriches the slices without drying them; the roll should absorb some fat and juices while remaining soft enough to compress around the filling.

Technique

Three things that matter

Cook before slicing. Fully tender, chilled offal slices cleanly and reheats without toughness.
Slice very thinly. Thin pieces are the defining texture of the filling and prevent the sandwich from becoming rubbery.
Serve immediately. The contrast between hot filling and soft fresh bread disappears if the sandwich waits.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Everything needed to prepare the dish, arranged for fast scanning before cooking.

Offal

600 gbeef spleentrimmed and rinsed
350 gbeef lungcleaned by a butcher
2.5 Lwateror enough to cover
1onionhalved
2bay leaves
2 tspfine sea salt

To finish

100 gpork lard
6soft sesame rollsPalermo-style if available
1lemoncut into wedges
80 gaged caciocavallofinely grated, optional for maritatu
150 gfresh sheep’s-milk ricottaoptional for maritatu

Step by step

Method

Cook and chill the offal

Start in cold water. Place spleen and lung in a large pot with cold water, onion, bay and salt. Bring slowly to a simmer, skimming any foam.
The liquid should simmer gently rather than boil violently.
Simmer until tender. Keep the offal submerged and simmer for 90–120 minutes, until a knife passes through the thickest part without resistance.
The spleen should feel firm-tender, not rubbery; the lung should be fully cooked through.
Cool and chill. Lift out, cool quickly, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the pieces firm up for slicing.
The centres should be completely cold before slicing.

Slice and reheat

Slice thinly. Trim any tough outer membrane, then cut the spleen and lung into very thin irregular slices, roughly 2–3 mm where possible.
Thin slices should bend easily without tearing into paste.
Melt the lard. Melt the lard in a wide pan over medium heat until clear and hot but not smoking.
A test slice should sizzle gently on contact.
Heat the filling. Add the sliced offal in small batches and turn for 2–3 minutes until piping hot and lightly glossy with lard.
The filling should reach at least 74°C throughout when reheated.

Build the sandwiches

Warm the rolls. Split the sesame rolls almost through and warm briefly so they are soft rather than crisp.
The crumb should compress easily around the filling.
Fill generously. Pile hot meusa into each roll and spoon over a little of the hot lard and juices.
The bread should be moist at the centre but not saturated through the crust.
Choose schietto or maritatu. Serve immediately with lemon for schietto; for maritatu, add grated caciocavallo and, if desired, a spoonful of ricotta.
Cheese should soften against the hot filling without burying its flavour.

Practical guidance

Butcher preparation

Beef lung can be difficult to source retail; ordering cleaned organ meat from a butcher is the most practical route.

Traditional service

Offer lemon at the table and keep cheese optional so both schietto and maritatu can be served from the same batch.

Make-ahead

The simmered offal can be chilled a day ahead; slice and reheat only the quantity needed.

Troubleshooting

The offal is tough. It was undercooked or sliced too thickly. Simmer until knife-tender and chill before slicing very thin.
The sandwich tastes greasy rather than rich. The filling sat too long in the lard. Use the lard as a short reheating bath, not a long frying stage.
The roll disintegrates. Too much liquid was spooned into the bread or the roll was stale. Use a fresh soft roll and add only enough pan juices to moisten the crumb.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1 sandwich
Calories: approximately 610 kcal
Carbohydrates: 46 g
Protein: 32 g
Fat: 32 g
Fibre: 3 g
Sodium: 980 mg

Estimate for the schietto version; maritatu cheese increases energy, fat and sodium.

Allergens and food safety

Use organ meat from a reliable inspected source and keep raw offal separate from ready-to-eat foods.

Cook the offal fully, chill it promptly if preparing ahead, and reheat sliced filling to at least 74°C before service.

Pregnant people and anyone advised to limit organ meats should seek individual medical guidance because offal is exceptionally nutrient-dense.

FAQ

What does pani câ meusa mean?

It is the Sicilian name for Palermo’s bread with spleen, the city’s classic hot offal sandwich.

What is the difference between schietto and maritatu?

Schietto is served without cheese, commonly with lemon; maritatu includes cheese such as caciocavallo and sometimes ricotta.

Can the offal be cooked in advance?

Yes. Simmer, cool and refrigerate it, then slice and reheat portions in lard just before assembling the sandwiches.

Final note

What matters most

Result: A hot Palermo sandwich with tender thin-sliced offal, a glossy savoury richness from lard and fresh contrast from lemon or cheese.
Key: Tenderize first, chill before slicing, reheat only briefly in lard and serve while the filling is still piping hot.