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Dumb burger question - When to salt?
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Botch
Posts: 15,487
I suppose ideally you'd salt your patties the night before, wrap tightly, and by mealtime the salt has drawn out the juice, dissolved, and then made its way back into the patty. I have trouble remembering to defrost in the first place.
So when do you salt your burgers? Ten minutes before grilling? As they're put on the grill? After grilling?
So when do you salt your burgers? Ten minutes before grilling? As they're put on the grill? After grilling?
_____________
"Pro-Life" would be twenty students graduating from Sandy Hook next month
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Sometimes I add salt when I’m adding flavors like Worcestershire, mustard, granulated garlic, onion juice, pepper, hot sauce. And sometimes I don’t. Never found it to make any difference.
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Actually a GREAT burger question.
This is a great read: https://www.google.com/amp/s/aht.seriouseats.com/amp/2009/12/the-burger-lab-salting-ground-beef.htmlKeepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX -
So what's the moral of the story? Unless you like your burgers with the resilient bouncy texture of a sausage, refrain from getting the meat anywhere near the salt until just before you cook it.The Dude: This is a very complicated case, Maude. You know, a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-you's. And, uh, lotta strands to keep in my head, man. Lotta strands in old Duder's head. Luckily I'm adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug regimen to keep my mind, you know, limber.Walter Sobchak: Nihilists! *uck me. I mean, say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos.
Cumming, GA
Eggs - XL, L, Small
Gasser - Weber Summit 6 Burner
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MCAH a few years ago suggests to season, salt, no more than 1 hour before cooking. I used to be in the season the night before camp until trying an hour or so before cooking. Texture is noticeably better with season just before cooking, IMO.Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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I add salt when mixing and then salt the patties shortly before grilling. Works for me. Never gone overnight with burgers.Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
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I add a little garlic salt when making the patties. I might sprinkle a little more, along with black pepper and Montreal steak seasoning, just before the cook.Dave - Austin, TX
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I add salt when making the patties. I add it with all the other ingredients. Throw them on grill, cook, and serve.
Seems to be ok, nothing is left."Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber
XL and MM
Louisville, Kentucky -
You're supposed to salt 'em? jk, I still do, but barely. I always thought about 20 minutes before cooking worked well. I have tons of rubs for various things that have no salt at all.
I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!
MichaelCentral Connecticut -
I never overnight season anything. Ever.
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DoubleEgger said:I never overnight season anything. Ever.Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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The Cen-Tex Smoker said:DoubleEgger said:I never overnight season anything. Ever.
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Thanks for the info, guys. I got lazy and bought some pre-made burgers this weekend, have two left to cook for lunch tomorrow. Was thinking about salting one and wrapping tonight, salting the other before cooking both tomorrow, and doing a direct side-by-side. But the pics in the article posted by @The Cen-Tex Smoker convinced me not to.
Instead, tomorrow I'm going to salt one burger a few minutes before grilling, and the other after it's cooked, sittin' on the bun. The salt won't be distributed evenly, but these damn grocery store patties are only 1/4" thick or so, that may not matter. Instead I'll be looking at the texture, and the juiciness, of the patties. Sorry, won't be dropping my Le Creuset DO on anything, my kitchen is messy enough (and that's my lunch, dammit!).
I'll report back._____________"Pro-Life" would be twenty students graduating from Sandy Hook next month
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1/4” burgers? Careful, that kind of talk can get you run out of here.Jefferson, GA
XL BGE, MM, Things to flip meat over and stuff
Wife, 3 kids, 5 dogs, 4 cats, 12 chickens, 2 goats, 2 pigs.
“Honey, we bought a farm.” -
Steak and ground beef aren’t the same thing. If you try and salt a burger the night before you’ll get that springy sausage texture. It’s pretty off putting. Salt just before searing. Salting after it’s cooked? We'll, I'd just eat a hot dog.
South of Nashville - BGE XL - Alfresco 42" ALXE - Alfresco Versa Burner - Sunbeam Microwave -
DoubleEgger said:I never overnight season anything. Ever.
Pre salting steaks is a game changer.South of Nashville - BGE XL - Alfresco 42" ALXE - Alfresco Versa Burner - Sunbeam Microwave -
I have always seasoned right before grilling.
BrandonQuad Cities
"If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful." -
The Cen-Tex Smoker said:Actually a GREAT burger question.
This is a great read: https://www.google.com/amp/s/aht.seriouseats.com/amp/2009/12/the-burger-lab-salting-ground-beef.html
Great article. I like his approach to things.
Phoenix -
Thorough article that includes discussion of salting one’s burger here: https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/hamburger-sloppy-joe-salisbury-steak-recipes/hamburger-secrets-how-zen-master
When in doubt, I look to Meathead.
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I typically hand form the burgers, salt them (actually, a mix of kosher salt, black pepper, and paprika), then slide the sheet of them into the freezer for a few minutes, then cook. Any extras get put back into the freezer and foodsavered later that night or next day. I suspect the fact that they're frozen so soon after salting keeps me from running into any of the negative issues with salting too early. I've never seen anything like what Kenji's bad experiment yielded.
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Nonsuch thing as a dumb question when it comes to burgers
I grind my own, pack them loosely amd then salt them when patties are formed... -
We season after the cook while building the burger on the bun.Large BGE, MiniMAX BGE, 2 Mini BGE's, R&V Fryer, 36" Blackstone Griddle, Camp Chef Dual Burner 40K BTU StoveBGE ChimineaProsper, TX
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i take the packaging off, salt it, mix it, form 2 inch round balls, smash it immediately on a screaming hot "dry" griddle, burn it fast hot and juicy. put room temp cheese on the bottom of a toasted bunn, put burger on top of cheese yep, everything wrong
fukahwee maineyou can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it -
I agree with Cen-Tex and was scratching around for the link when I saw he had nailed it. FYI, if you're not familiar with it, Serious Eats is a helluva website, and that is indeed a great article. But that site is chock full of great stuff. Who doesn't love a good burger...Virginia Beach, VA
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I mix the salt in just before making the patties. Generally, S&P + a drizzle of OO. Sometimes some Montreal steak/burger seasoning.
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I toss salt when they begin to weep on top, then flip them, salt the other side and that’s it.
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I am more of a hand patty kind of guy just before throwing them on the grill with some MONTREAL steak seasoning....which has salt in it I think. They turn out for me. I use 80/20 meat which gives me some fat drippings for flavor.Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax
Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
Run me out in the cold rain and snow -
northGAcock said:I am more of a hand patty kind of guy
Edit - and that was your 10K post! Congrats.
Phoenix -
blasting said:northGAcock said:I am more of a hand patty kind of guy
Edit - and that was your 10K post! Congrats.Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax
Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
Run me out in the cold rain and snow -
I am lazy. I buy the 1/3 pound Kroger frozen angus burger patties and salt or put on rub a few minutes before the cook. Peronally I like Dizzy Pig Redeye Express on BurgersI XL and 1 Weber Kettle And 1 Weber Q220 Outside Alvin, TX-- South of Houston
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