Go ahead: Rub it in. Massage that rub all over the exterior of bird, beast or fish. Spoon it on and use your fingertips to spread it all around.

Now slam that well-seasoned beauty on a heated, well-oiled grill and wait a few minutes. Smell the smoke. It's a seductive scent: juices melding with vibrant flavorings as they drip on the fire, the exposed surface gently caramelizing as it cooks.

It's a quite a payoff for mere minutes of effort. Rubs are the easiest and fastest technique for flavoring grilled foods.

There are two basic types. Dry rubs -- typically a blend of coarse salt, pepper, sugar, dry herbs and spices -- are applied to the food surface before grilling.

Wet rubs (also called spice pastes) are a cross between dry rubs and marinades, adding puréed fresh herbs, fruits or vegetables, juice, vinegar, alcohol and/or oil to the seasoning blend for moisture and flavor. Some are applied hours before grilling, while others are used in the final minutes of cooking to prevent scorching.

Choosing between wet and dry rubs is mainly a matter of taste, but when they're appled well ahead of time, there's also a chemistry component. Wet rubs with acidic ingredients such as vinegar or pineapple juice can slightly tenderize meat while dry rubs can have a curing action.

''Rubs are used for three different purposes,'' says Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue! Bible (Workman, $35), which is just out in an updated 10th anniversary edition.

``First, a rub is a seasoning. It adds a layer of flavor. Second, if it's applied for four hours to a day before, [the salt in a dry rub] partially cures the meat. Third, it helps with the formation of a crisp crust.''

Compared with other flavor-enhancing techniques, says Jim Tarantino, author of Marinades, Rubs, Brines, Cures & Glazes (Ten Speed, $19.95), ``a rub will give more focused flavor per square inch.''

From a two-fisted espresso blend to a sublime Mediterranean mix, we've assembled a collection of rubs that are sure to add flair to your backyard fare.

Orange County Register writer Cathy Thomas and the Associated Press contributed to this story.

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