I quite immodestly assert that I make some of the best burgers in the universe (see this, this, and my burger recipe is here); nevertheless, I'm willing to consider this advice. Two points from the article:
Keep It Shapely
As Berthold shaped the patties, he pressed his thumb into the center of each one, creating a divot in the beef. Since the patties constrict withheat, these divots prevent the meat from puffing upinto tennis balls. ...
Keeping the meat cool until you’re ready to cook it and salting it just before it hits the pan is also important, as this is key to retaining moisture. Berthold sprinkled a lot of kosher saltover his patties. “It should look like a light dusting of snow on your car window–just enough so that you can’t see through it,” he said.
This was perhaps the biggest take away: Season your patties and then season them again. (Then don’t forget the divot.)
I cannot imagine putting that much salt on my burgers. However, I like the ideas of:
- Season, and then season again.
- Put a divot (a dent, really) in the burgers to keep them from getting too thick as they cook.
Also, we've learned to make them a tad smaller than the 8-ouncers we used to love.