speak for itself There is one exception to this rule: the smashed burger You may have heard that once a burger hits the grill or griddle, you should never, under any circumstances, press on it, lest you squeeze out valuable juices Well, yes and no True, once the patty has heated to the point where its fat has begun to liquefy, squeezing it will wring it out like a sponge On the other hand, you can feel free to press on the burger at any point before this stage In fact, in the case of smashed burgers—a style with recent strong representation from chains like Shake Shack and Smashburger—you actually want to press on it—and hard—right when it starts cooking More on these later Season liberally, but do not salt the beef until the patties are formed Burgers shouldn’t be confused with health food, or even everyday food A great burger is a once-in-awhile treat, and if I’m going to treat myself, I want it to taste awesome Without enough salt and pepper, even the most carefully selected and ground meat blend will taste flat—you’re better off dining with the King or the Clown, who, despite their significant shortcomings, at least understand the benefits of a little sodium chloride A word of warning: salt your beef only after the patties are formed Salt will dissolve muscle proteins, which subsequently cross-link, turning your burgers from moist and tender to sausage-like and springy (which is desirable for actual sausages; see here) The effect is quite dramatic The two burgers shown below were made with identical cuts of beef, formed in the exact same way, ... ground meat blend will taste flat—you’re better off dining with the King or the Clown, who, despite their significant shortcomings, at least understand the benefits of a little sodium chloride... with health food, or even everyday food A great burger is a once-in-awhile treat, and if I’m going to treat myself, I want it to taste awesome Without enough salt and pepper, even the most carefully... is desirable for actual sausages; see here) The effect is quite dramatic The two burgers shown below were made with identical cuts of beef, formed in the exact same way,