Lorne sausage (or Scottish square sausage) can either be all-beef, all-pork, or in the case of this recipe, a mixture of both. It’s important that whatever meat you use, it has at least 20% fat, otherwise the sausage will be too dry.
This recipe is to make the raw sausage, so there’s no cooking involved. Once it’s set and sliced, it can either be fried or grilled and eaten right away, or separate each slice with parchment paper, put into a freezer bag and store in the freezer until ready to use.
If frozen, thaw completely before cooking.

Scottish Lorne Sausage
Beef, pork and spices mixed together to create a delicious Scottish staple. Perfect as part of a full Scottish breakfast or simply enjoyed in a freshly-buttered roll.
Approximate Cost: $8
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground beef. a,k.a. "minced beef" or "mince" in Scotland.
- 1 lb. ground pork.
- 2 cups plain panko breadcrumbs or butcher's rusk.
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper. Freshly ground is best.
- 2 tsp. kosher or sea salt. or 1 tsp. of regular table salt.
- 1 ½ tsp. ground coriander.
- ½ tsp. ground nutmeg.
- ½ tsp. ground mace (optional) If omitting, increase coriander and nutmeg by 1/4 tsp. each.
- ½ cup cup cold water. Add up to 2 tbsp. more if mixture seems too dry.
Directions:
- Line a loaf tin with clingfilm, with enough hanging over the edges to wrap over the opening once you’ve put the sausage meat in it. You can also use an empty milk or cream carton, laying on its side with the top cut off to create a makeshift loaf tin.
- Add all the ingredients to a bowl and use your hands to mix everything thoroughly.
- Squash the sausage meat into the loaf tin a little at a time. Press down to eliminate any air bubbles in the mixture.
- Wrap the clingfilm over the top so it’s fully covered and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours until it is firm.
- Remove the sausage from the tin using the clingfilm to lift it out and then cut into 1/2" slices using a sharp, serrated knife (bread knife).
OMG!! This came out exactly like I remember it. I found some in a local British food shop recently, but at $12 for just four slices, I didn’t buy it, plus theirs had lots of fillers and chemical preservatives that I wasn’t keen on. This came out to less than $2 for 4 slices, none of the chemical crap, and it was FANTASTIC!! Will definitely be making again.
So glad you liked it, Kathy. Yes, some of the prices for British foods can be off-putting here. I understand items that have to be imported like canned foods or British sweets, but things like this Lorne Sausage are usually made here by the stores themselves.
Can I use this to make Scotch Eggs?
Hi Jennifer. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t. You may have to add a little extra liquid to make it easier to work with as Lorne Sausage tends to be a bit more dry and crumbly than regular breakfast sausage, but other than that, it should be fine. In fact, it sounds so good that I think I’ll try it myself. Thanks for the great idea!