Ready to hit the sauce this weekend? The barbecue kind, that is.

Toppings -- such as Sherry Vinegar-Brown Sugar Barbecue Baste, Caramelized Garlic Olive Oil and Brown Sugar and Mustard Glaze -- are sure to make your Memorial Day cookout glow. In no time at all, you can toss together a few simple ingredients, hunt down the basting brush and hover by the grill with an air of authority for the unofficial start of barbecue season.

"A lot of people are into grilling in this area," says Suzanne Guy, merchandising director at Eddie's of Roland Park. "And people are becoming more aware of flavor."

These days, grill sauces get boosts from a variety of herbs, spices and fruits. Rosemary, sesame, lemon grass, passion fruit, mango, garlic and ginger are popular, Guy says.

"The Asian influence is still a major thing," she adds.

Michael A. Gettier, owner of M. Gettier's Orchard Inn in Towson, favors a basic lemon-basil vinaigrette or pesto when grilling on his own time. "The simplest is olive oil, lemon, garlic and a fresh herb," he says. "We Weber a lot at home. It keeps the heat out of the kitchen -- and the smell -- and the cleanup is easier."

The French-trained chef also likes to grill veal chops, chicken and lamb fillets, which he calls a "forgotten" cut, with just a little salt, pepper and oil for taste, he says.

George Hirsch, chef and author of "Know Your Fire" (HPBooks, 1999), which was written with Marie Bianco, leans toward in-season fruit purees to add pizazz to grilled chicken and seafood.

"In the summer, we eat lighter," says Hirsch, who also is host of a public television cooking show bearing the same name as his book. "Sauces should also be light."

He recommends combining a cup of chopped fresh fruit such as strawberries, raspberries or peaches with a cup of similar preserves and simmering the mixture for 4 to 5 minutes. Add a dash of citrus juice and the sauce is ready. For a smoother texture, the mixture can be pressed through a strainer.

Bobby Flay of Food Network fame features dozens of recipes for jazzing up grilled foods in his newest book, "Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill" (Hyperion, 1999), written with Joan Schwartz. He puts together tempting combos like chili-citrus, mint-apricot, yogurt-cilantro and mustard-molasses.

"When you add different glazes and sauces, you're creating taste sensations we don't get every day," Flay says. "They enhance the flavor of things we think are ordinary, like chicken or chops."

Many sauces start out as marinades, which can put even more kick into grilled dishes. If you're concerned about safety, though, discard the marinade and use a fresh sauce, Guy says.

Lisa Lachenmayr, nutrition and food-safety educator for the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service, says any liquid in which raw meat or poultry has been soaked should be thrown out. She suggests saving half of the marinade before adding the uncooked food and using the reserved liquid as the basting sauce.

Basting times differ, although flexibility reigns. "If you want a nice crust or coating, brush as you go along," Guy advises.

Hirsch says he often uses basting sauces at the end of grilling to finish the food, especially if a sugary sauce will char the meat too quickly if applied earlier.

Whether you use a charcoal grill or a gas model also is a personal preference, grillmeisters say.

"It's a running debate with people. Real men use charcoal," Guy says with a laugh. "There is the convenience of a gas grill, but everyone still wants the flavor of a charcoal grill."

For Gettier, who uses a commercial grill in his restaurant, charcoal is the way to go. Cooking on a gas grill gives food a different taste, he says.

"It defeats the purpose since it tends to steam a lot of things," Gettier says. "The heat is not enough to justify the word 'grill.' "

Hirsch uses both, he says, adding that you can prepare more sophisticated meals on gas because you can control the heat and many have a side burner for keeping sauces warm.

But you don't really need a fancy, deluxe grill with all the bells and whistles. Any kind will do when it comes to cooking outdoors, Hirsch says.

After all, backyard grilling is usually a casual affair, involving tossing a steak or chicken on the rack, painting on a sauce and savoring the tantalizing aroma.

"You come back to basics whether you're using a $100 grill or a $5,000 one," Hirsch says.

Shrimp With Lemon and Rosemary

Serves 4

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, leaving tail on

2 lemons, sliced thin

8 fresh rosemary stems (each at least 8 inches long), or skewers and 1 tablespoon dried rosemary

4 tablespoons Caramelized Garlic Olive Oil (see recipe)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat grill to high.

Pierce holes in the shrimp and lemon slices with a metal skewer or the tip of a sharp knife. Alternately thread the shrimp and lemon slices onto the rosemary stems. If fresh rosemary stems are not available, use metal skewers and season the shrimp with dried rosemary. Brush the shrimp with the caramelized garlic olive oil and season with pepper. Sear the shrimp over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes and move to medium heat until cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes. (Shrimp are done when flesh turns pink.)

-- From "Know Your Fire"

Caramelized Garlic Olive Oil

1 head Caramelized Garlic (see recipe)

1 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon Tabasco

Combine ingredients. Allow the oil to sit for at least 1 hour, but it will have more flavor if it sits overnight.

-- From "Know Your Fire"

Caramelized Garlic

6 heads fresh garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

Lay each garlic head on its side and cut off 1/4 inch from the bottom, or root end, exposing the garlic cloves. Remove as much of the papers covering as possible, leaving the head intact. Place the heads, exposed end down, in a single layer in an oven-proof dish and drizzle with the olive oil. Roast in a 375-degree oven for 20 minutes, uncovered. Cover with aluminum foil and cook 10 to 15 minutes longer.

To remove the garlic, separate the cloves and squeeze out the garlic. Wrapped in foil, the garlic will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. (It makes a wonderful spread for bread.)

-- From "Know Your Fire"

Butterflied Chicken With Sherry Vinegar-Brown Sugar Barbecue Baste

Serves 8

BARBECUE BASTE:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 cup sherry vinegar

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

6 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups low-sodium canned chicken stock

1 tablespoon Spanish paprika

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

4 whole chickens (about 2 1/2 pounds each), butterflied (see note)

1/4 cup olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

To make the baste: Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until almost smoking and cook the shallots and garlic until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and reduce by half. Add the brown sugar, tomatoes, stock and paprika; stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth. Return the mixture to a clean medium saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool at room temperature. May be refrigerated, covered, up to 3 days; use at room temperature. Makes 2 to 2 1/2 cups.

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium.

Brush chickens on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill skin-side down without turning until the skin is golden brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn, and continue grilling until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally. Baste with the barbecue baste every 3 minutes. (You have to keep spooning or brushing the barbecue baste over the chicken as it cooks, so the sugar in the baste caramelizes but doesn't burn.)

Place the chickens on a large platter and cut in half.

Note: To butterfly a chicken, split it down the backbone and open it out flat.

-- From "Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill"

Turkey Drumsticks Slathered With Barbecue Sauce

Serves 4

SAUCE:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup steak sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

vegetable oil for brushing cooking grate

4 turkey drumsticks, about 1 pound each

To make the sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine, ketchup, steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sage and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Lightly brush the cooking grate with vegetable oil. Lightly coat the turkey drumsticks with the barbecue sauce. Grill the drumsticks indirectly over medium heat, turning and basting with the barbecue sauce every 30 minutes, until the juices run clear and the internal temperature is 180 degrees, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Serve warm.

-- From "Weber's Art of the Grill" (Chronicle Books, 1999) by Jamie Purviance in collaboration with Weber-Stephen Products Co.

Salmon With Brown Sugar and Mustard Glaze

Serves 6-8

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon honey

2 teaspoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 whole salmon fillet, skin on, about 2 1/2 pounds and 3/4- to 1-inch thick

In a small saute pan over medium heat, melt the brown sugar with the honey and butter. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger. Allow to cool.

Place the salmon, skin side down, on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Trim the foil to leave a border of 1/4 to 1/2 inch around the edge of the salmon. Coat the flesh of the salmon with the brown-sugar mixture.

Grill the salmon indirectly over medium heat until the edges begin to brown and the inside is opaque, 25 to 30 minutes. The internal temperature should be about 125 degrees. Turn off the heat and serve fish directly from the grill or, using a large baking sheet, carefully transfer the salmon with the foil to a cutting board. Cut the salmon crosswise into 6 to 8 pieces, but do not cut through the skin. Slide a spatula between the skin and flesh and remove the salmon pieces to a serving platter or individual plates. Serve immediately.

-- From "Weber's Art of the Grill"

Grilled Steak and Roasted Red Onion Ring Sandwiches

Makes 6 sandwiches

MARINATED STEAK:

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

2 1/2 pounds sirloin, 1-inch thick (top round or flank steak)

ONION RINGS:

4 medium red onions, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rings

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

12 slices pumpernickel or rye bread

mayonnaise or mustard

Boston or bibb lettuce, coarsely shredded

Combine the vinegar and soy sauce in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Place the steak in a large glass or ceramic baking dish and pour the marinade over it. (If you're concerned about safety, use only half of the mixture for marinating, reserving the other half for basting during cooking.) Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 hours, or overnight. Turn the steak occasionally.

Prepare a gas or charcoal grill.

Reserve marinade (or discard and use already reserved marinade). Grill the steak over medium-hot coals for 4 to 5 minutes to a side for rare meat and 6 to 7 minutes for medium. Baste with the reserved marinade several times during grilling. Remove the steak to a cutting board and carve on the diagonal into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Cover the meat with plastic wrap and refrigerate to chill.

To prepare the onion rings, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the sliced onions in a roasting pan. Toss with the 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast the onions until fork-tender, about 1 hour.

To assemble the sandwiches, generously spread the bread with the mayonnaise or mustard. Divide the sliced steak on 6 of the bread slices and cover them with the roasted onion rings. Top with the shredded lettuce and the remaining bread and cut the sandwiches in half.

-- From "Picnics" (Chronicle Books, 1999) by Barbara Scott-Goodman