If both sides will be exposed to the heat, I season both sides so it will be evenly seasoned.
Also, I tend to have a heavy hand with herbs and spices cuz I love all the flavors! Subtlety in cooking is not my forte.

Both, and then let the meat come to room temp. Helps with even cooking and lets the seasoning absorb into the meat. Not a food safety issue if you cook to correct temp.

If it’s fish with a skin side like salmon, I would just season the top. For everything else, I would season both sides.

After or before?
After, I would season both sides.
Before, I would season the side that is open to the heat (in the oven), or the side that is not in contact with the pan (at first).

Both, even with fish like salmon. nomnomnom <3

Both sides except skin-on salmon.

Both sides.

What are you cooking? What time should I come over? What is an appropriate wine to bring?

Your dinner music can be, “I’m Seasoning Food From Both Sides Now” by Judy Collins. ;)

Dinner was at 5:00 and it was salmon, rice and green beans.
So you are too late @canidmajor. But next time I’ll call ya. How many hours will it take you to get here?

I’ll need a little notice, it’s about a ten hour drive…

And a shower.
And a bed…

@canidmajor Pick me up on your way down?

@janbb Bring some road snacks!!

Looks like I’m gonna have to go get more food for dinner and breakfast.

^^ I made some yummy French sugar shortbread cookies today. Will that do?

Absolutely!

@Tropical_Willie Both sides except skin-on salmon.

@janbb said the same thing. Why is that? Is it because the salt is supposed to draw up the sides? If so, I do both sides and don’t have that problem. I’m curious because I’m always ready to improve my cooking.

Most people don’t eat the skin.

I do but still don’t season the skin.

Mmmm the skin is the best part. It gets crispy and very light, and I’ve read that you should eat the skin because just under it is where the good fat is (what little there is).

If it’s very thin I don’t worry about seasoning both sides, but I would say that is going against usual recommendations. It’s just laziness on my part.

As far as fish, if it is a skin my husband likes crispy, I remove the skin, like salmon skin, and crip it in a pan with salt. If the skin won’t be eaten then I don’t bother seasoning it if I am leaving it on the fish.

Actually, if I am making chicken that the skin will just be soggy because it is cooked in a sauce, I remove the skin prior to cooking, and cook it in a pan with salt, a little paprika, a little garlic salt, and it gets really crisp, like eating chicharon or bacon. Then I set that aside and cook my chicken dish. I do salt both sides of the chicken.

I would say it depends on what it is. Try an experiment next time. If you are cooking two pieces of meat, season one on only one side and the other on both sides. Do a taste test. You might find there is no significant difference. Or you might find the one that is seasoned on both sides is either much better or over seasoned.

The only time I believe things HAVE to be seasoned on both sides is when you are doing something like fried chicken or blackened fish.

I do both sides since the food is being turned over anyways in its spices.