Grilled food is delicious when seasoned with just salt and pepper, but marinating meat and vegetables and serving up a sauce on the side brings outdoor dining to delicious new heights.

A marinade usually contains acidic ingredients, like lemon juice or vinegar, that break down proteins and work as liquid tenderizers. They also add flavor to meat and help keep everything moist. They're especially good on dry pieces of meat, like chicken breast.

A sauce in the most basic form is a flavored liquid designed to accompany food in order to enhance or bring out its flavor. As that definition implies, there are almost endless possibilities for saucing whatever you're grilling. Sauces that don't include too much sugar can be added before, during or after cooking. But to play it safe, sugary barbecue sauce is often added to the meat right before or after it's taken off the grill.

Here are some go-to grilled recipes for marinades and sauces that are guaranteed to spice up your summertime meals:

Beef Marinades

• 6 Hour Tri-tip Marinade
• Marinated Grilled Hanger Steak
• Beer-Marinated Skirt Steak

Chicken Marinade

• Butterflied Chicken with Thyme, Lemon and Garlic

Vegetable Marinade

• Grilled Cauliflower Steak