Spleen ✦

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What it is

In Palermo the spleen becomes pani ca’ meusa: sliced, seethed in lard and stuffed into a roll either schetta — plain — or maritata, married to ricotta and caciocavallo. Tuscany uses it differently, mashed with liver and capers into the black crostini that open a Florentine meal.

In the kitchen

Peel the tough outer membrane off before cooking or it curls and turns leathery. Don’t try to slice it neatly once cooked — it wants to be scraped from its skin and mashed, and it takes salt and vinegar hard.

Goes with

Capers Red wine vinegar Caciocavallo Silano Ricotta Lemon Lard Onion Parsley

Same species

Abura-kasu Amourettes (spinal marrow) Spider steak Bastourma Flank steak Beef

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