LongHorn Steakhouse Opens Grill Hotline for Fourth of July Holiday

In what may be the biggest grilling holiday of the year, LongHorn Steakhouse is opening its Grill U Hotline at at 1-855-LH-GRILL (1-855-544-7455) to keep you from ruining your steaks, burgers, chicken and chops during the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Top Grill Masters will be around via phone on Sunday, July 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central Time to provide expert tips and tricks just in time for holiday grill-outs.

The LongHorn grill masters will answer such questions as open vs closed lids, how to keep from overcooking steaks and other grill pepping via the toll-free hotline. Over the past five years, Grill Masters have received a variety of questions from the grilling public, ranging from grilling basics to hardcore techniques. As summer heats up, here are some of their top tips based on some of the most popular questions since the Grill Us Hotline began.

Top 5 Grilling Tips from LongHorn Steakhouse

1. A great grill-out starts before you place the meat on the grill. Be sure to fully clean and prepare your grill using a wire-bristled brush and a light coat of canola oil.

2. Always use fresh, never frozen, high-quality meats for the best flavor.

3. Don’t be shy with seasoning – especially when you’re working on a char grill, since much of it will fall through the grates when grilling. Coat both sides of the steak by patting the seasoning into the meat.

4. Make sure your grill is very hot – about 500-550 degrees. A hot grill is critical for the perfect sear – and evenly cooked meat.

4. Resist the urge to cut into your steak to check doneness. When you cut into a steak or other type of meat to see whether it’s cooked through, you risk losing juices – and that’s where a lot of the flavor is! The easiest and most accurate way to tell if your meat is ready is by using a meat thermometer. With steak, for example, you want to be between 130 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit for medium.

Most Commonly Asked Grilling Questions

Grill Open vs. Grill Closed: It depends on what’s going on the grill. For steaks, boneless chicken, pork, fish or vegetables, keep the grill lid open. Close it up if to make bone-in chicken or hamburgers.

Grilling A Lot of Steaks at Once: Set up temperature zones on the grill. Designate a “hot zone,” and heat it to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, create a “warm zone” on a quarter of the grill, and set the temperature between 100 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit. When a steak reaches the right temperature, move it to the “warm zone” so it stays hot but doesn’t get overcooked.

Making a Great Grill Seasoning: LongHorn restaurants have a secret blend, but a solid substitute is called “The Big Four.” Mix salt, pepper, granulated onion powder and granulated garlic powder. Pat the mixture into both sides of a cut of meat – and don’t be shy with the seasoning.

To help make every grill-out successful, LongHorn has even more resources available to guests.

Engage on Social Media: Guests can chat live with LongHorn for expert advice from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. CT, seven days a week, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Text “GRILL” to 55702: Guests can get some of LongHorn’s top tips and recipes delivered straight to their phone all summer – and tips will change every week.

ExpertGriller.com: LongHorn’s ExpertGriller web site is dedicated to chef-inspired recipes, cook-out guides and even more expert advice. For more information and to locate the closest restaurant, visit LongHorn Steakhouse.