Should you season the meat of a patty before or after it's formed? I've heard that it allows for more flavour if you were to add salt and pepper from the start, but I'm told doing that will cause the patty to fall apart more likely into just ground beef and that you should always season it AFTER the patty is formed.
Meat – Patty Integrity and Seasoning
hamburgersmeat
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Best Answer
Kenji Lopez-Alt wrote about this issue on the website, Serious Eats. Salting the meat before making the patty does not cause it to fall apart, rather it creates a more bouncy, sausage-like texture. His conclusion is that most people prefer a patty that has a loose, open structure. His advice is to salt immediately before cooking.