There鈥檚 a time and a place for subtlety in cooking鈥攂ut grilling is not one of them. Oversized flavors go well with oversized cuts of meat and overgrown summer produce, so season with gusto.
Grill masters know how to play with flavors. If you鈥檙e unsure where to start, the easiest thing is to grab a prepared rub or sauce, light up the grill, and experiment. Here are 10 rubs and sauces you should add to your pantry this summer.聽
Stubbs Moppin鈥 Sauce

C.B. Stubblefield is a barbecue legend in West Texas, an area that knows its smoked meats. This is what Stubbs uses to baste his meats as they cook. Technically, moppin鈥 refers to the way he鈥檇 mop the sauce onto the meat as he worked, but it might as well refer to the way you鈥檒l mop up every last drop from your plate. Use it to marinate, baste, or finish ribs, pork shoulder, or brisket.聽
Cimarron Doc鈥檚 Gourmet & Bar-B-Q Seasoning 聽

Pro chef John Delpha, of Rosebud American Kitchen in Somerville, Massachusetts, makes a house rub for the meats he serves. The next best thing, he says, is this . It鈥檚 the right combination of sweet and salty, according to聽Delpha. Longtime competitive barbecue聽team Larry and Mary Koch created the rub and have won gobs of awards with it. There鈥檚 nothing totally unusual about it鈥攊t鈥檚 just perfectly balanced.
Sosu Srirachup 聽

Leave it to San Francisco to make craft sriracha a聽thing. is the perfect marriage of ketchup聽and sriracha. It has聽a strong tomato base聽and tons of heat, and the sriracha is much fruitier and fresh tasting than the kind you find in a megamart. Your burgers will never know what hit them.聽
Charles Vergos Rendezvous Rub

The used at the iconic Memphis rib joint, this is about as classic as it gets. Technically, it鈥檚 considered a 鈥渇inishing rub鈥 that you鈥檙e supposed to apply toward聽the end of cooking, preferably mixed into a vinegar-and-water solution.聽Make sure you read the directions to get it right.聽
Big Bob Gibson鈥檚 Original White Sauce聽

In Memphis, the sauce is sweet. In the Carolinas, it鈥檚 vinegary.聽And in Alabama? In Alabama, it鈥檚 . Which sounds weird, but if you鈥檙e an Alabamian, it鈥檚 the only way to go. For non-Alabama natives, this is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it thing. It鈥檚 quite vinegary, with horseradish and lemon juice rounding out the intense flavor profile. It meshes best with grilled chicken and fish, less so with pork. 聽
Elvio鈥檚 Chimichurri聽

is sometimes called the ketchup of Argentina,聽but it鈥檚 way more sophisticated. Full of robust herbs, garlic, and fruity olive oil, chimichurri is served alongside prime cuts of grilled meats in South America, not squeezed out of packets at the local fast-food joint. Dip your steaks or grilled veggies in this, or use it as a marinade鈥攋ust make sure your significant other does the same: It鈥檚 got a serious garlic afterburn.
Spiceologist Cowboy Crust Espresso Chile Rub

Espresso and coffee grounds are becoming a popular rub ingredient for the deep, earthy flavors they impart (also, most of us have no shortage of them on hand). combines Thomas Hammer Fireball Espresso grounds with cayenne, coriander, ancho chiles, sugar, and salt. It鈥檚 especially good on lamb, venison, and elk.聽
Penzeys Berbere Seasoning

This fiery is often used in doro wat and other traditional Ethiopian stews, but it鈥檚 also delicious when rubbed directly on meat. Sprinkle onto lamb chops or a butterflied goat leg during the final few minutes of grilling.
Blues Hog Barbeque Sauce聽

Created in the hills of Tennessee, is one of Delpha鈥檚 two favorite sauces. Actually, he likes to mix an equal portion of this sauce with . 鈥淭ogether, you just get a really good balance,鈥 he says.聽
Hela Curry Gewurz Ketchup

Delpha says the Germans are onto something with their . He likes to use this as a marinade, and then finish the meat with a curry-based sauce. It鈥檚 also awesome on grilled sausages and hamburgers. 鈥淐urry just adds this interesting flavor,鈥 he says, adding that he thinks curry ketchup may be America鈥檚 next obsession.