This square sausage recipe is one of the most distinctly Scottish things you can put in a pan. Lorne sausage goes by several names — square sausage, slice, slicing sausage — but whatever you call it, the principle is the same. No casing, no links, no fuss. Just a block of well-seasoned minced meat, chilled until firm, sliced, and fried.

A Scottish Square Sausage With a Past

Lorne sausage is not so much an invention as an evolution. Its roots lie not in sausage-making at all but in an older Scottish favourite: the collop. Collops — from the French escalope — were thinly sliced meats, floured and fried, served in a rich sauce. The minced collop was meat put through the mincer, seasoned, formed into a patty, and fried. The Lorne is its direct descendent.

By the second half of the nineteenth century, caseless, fatty, beefy sausages were nothing new to Scottish cooking. Mrs Beeton gives a recipe in 1861 for something very close to a pork and beef Lorne, without skins. The earliest specific references I can turn up are butcher's advertisements in Greenock in 1884 and 1885 for "slice" and "slicing" sausages. The name Lorne itself appears first — as far as I can find — in an advert from Grant's Stores of Renton, proudly announcing that their sausage department was quite a success. They also sold minced collops separately, which tells you the two things were already understood as distinct.

The name's origin is debated. The most common link is to the historical Scottish region of Lorn in Argyll, though nothing is settled.

Making the Mince

I make my own mince using the mincer attachment on my KitchenAid. For this lorne sausage recipe I go 50/50 beef and pork shoulder — enough fat in both to keep the slices moist in the pan. If you are buying mince, ask for something with a decent fat content. Lean mince will give you a dry, crumbly slice and that is not what you are after.

Square Sausage Recipe

Makes: one small loaf tin — slice what you need, freeze the rest

Ingredients

• 250g minced beef
• 250g minced pork shoulder
• 75g sourdough buckwheat breadcrumbs
• A good pinch of sea salt
• Plenty of white pepper
• A grating of nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 3–4 tbsp chilled water

Method

• Combine the minced beef and pork in a large bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, salt, white pepper, nutmeg, and coriander. Mix thoroughly.
• Add the chilled water a little at a time, working it in until the mixture becomes sticky and holds together. You may not need all of it.
• Line a small loaf tin with cling film, leaving enough overhang to fold over the top. Pack the mixture in firmly, pressing out any air pockets. Fold the cling film over and press down.
• Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight. The block needs to be fully set before slicing.
• To cook: turn the block out, slice into portions around 1cm thick, and fry in a little beef dripping or butter over a medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides. The slice should hold its shape and take on good colour. Freeze remaining portions between sheets of baking paper.

Footnote

This square sausage recipe is featured in my Scottish Recipes hub, a collection of traditional Scottish recipes rooted in family history and proper ingredients.

Find more recipes and food adventures here.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef