Do you love the smell of charcoal on the grill, or eagerly await that first bite of a juicy cut of meat? Then you must be a barbeque fan! There are thousands of us around the world, that know that there is nothing better than a perfectly seasoned pork chop straight off the grill. My mouth is watering just thinking about the possibilities. YUM!

Unfortunatly, one of the hardest things for many grill enthusiasts to figure out is just how to get their meat seasoned correctly. You can build a fire and learn the ins and outs of cooking it properly (which will get you pretty far) but you really need to understand about seasonings and marinades to truly be a grill master. Want to know more? Keep reading.

No matter what you are barbequing, marinades for any piece of meat centers around three basic ingredients. First, you need is cooking oil. The next thing you need is an acid such as lemon juice or vinegar. The third ingredient is spices and/or herbs. Then you are ready to grill!

To start off with you need to get down to some basic rules so that you can begin creating some of your own barbeque masterpieces.

#1 Make the oil/vinegar proportional. One cup of each, etc. This will make it super easy to make enough marinade for any amount of meat that you may be cooking.

#2 Don't over power the marinade with too many spices. Salt, sugar and garlic are strong flavors. So are, peppers, basil, oregano, dried mustard, onion and the list goes on. Use them sparingly for the best possible taste and texture.

When mixing add the vinegar to the bowl first and then begin blending in the oil in small quantities until it is all combined together. Take your time with this and don't add the spices until the oil and acid are combined thoroughly. Skip this step and your marinade will never quite mix correct.

Once the marinade is complete, let it soak into the meat as long as possible. I try to go my meat marinated overnight for optimum flavor. Then when you are ready to grill simply remove the meat from the marinate and cook to perfection. What could be easier!

Tip: Don't reuse the marinating mixture to baste your bbq. You run the risk of cross contamination and other problems. Instead, try making up a second batch of your marinade and then brush over your meat during the cooking process. It will help give it an extra oomph of taste and aroma before hitting your plate.