Condiments

"I'm a mustard fiend," says chef Bryan Voltaggio. At his DC-area restaurant Voltaggio Brothers Steak House, Bryan and his brother, Michael, serve every steak with a tray of sauces for dipping. "You will want to lather this simple sauce on everything."

When this creamy sauce, inspired by Georgian bazhe, is first made, the onion flavor is intense, but it mellows overnight. Try it with Tomato-and-Cilantro-Marinated Chicken Shashlik.

Sunchoke relish is on every table in Georgia and South Carolina, says Linton Hopkins. "When I was a boy, I thought they were the funniest artichokes," he recalls; in fact, they are knotty tubers with a sweet, crunchy taste.

This sauce is perfect with these Asian kebab combinations.

Serve this mayonnaise with these terrific Mexican kebabs.

Susan Feniger serves this sweet, salty and tangy relish with her Tunisian Chicken Kebabs. It's delicious on any grilled chicken, as well as lamb and even fish.

This spicy sweet relish would pair nicely with hotdogs or fries.

For added punch, chef Paul Virant suggests adding a quarter cup of finely grated fresh horseradish and up to a half tablespoon of Sriracha chile-garlic sauce to the processor before adding the oil.

When grilling a meal, chef Robert Del Grande in Houston threads ingredients for sauces onto skewers to cook alongside the meat. While the meat rests, he purees the sauce ingredients in a blender.

Mixing sweet pineapple, onion and vinegar with a quick, light caramel sauce results in a fabulous sweet-and-sour chutney.

The ketchup can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Chef Paul Virant keeps this simple house-made ketchup on hand for staff meals when burgers or Chicago dogs are on offer for his cooks. For the base, he uses tomatoes his staff has canned during the summer, but store-bought tomato sauce also works.

Like most homemade mustards, this one tastes best after resting overnight, once the flavors have had time to mellow. The classic sauce has a refreshing piquancy that makes it work perfectly as either a condiment or a marinade. Slather it on a burger or steak, or spread it on chicken breasts a few hours before grilling.

At their DC-area restaurant Voltaggio Brothers Steak House, brothers Bryan and Michael serve a tray of sauces, including this tangy steak au poivre-inspired jus, alongside every steak. "Serving different sauces on the side allows guests to customize their own experience," says Bryan.

Another great recipe to drizzle on sausages, this one requires minimal preparation while packing a huge dose of flavor.

Falafel stands throughout the Middle East often have some version of this hot chile sauce, called zhoug, for giving a spicy kick to pita sandwiches. Chef Ana Sortun adds pumpkin seeds to her take on this fiery sauce to thicken it and deepen the flavor.

Chef Ana Sortun likes to serve this tangy Middle Eastern twist on the classic French sauce with oily fish like bluefish. But the intense flavor of the tahini stands up equally well to charred lamb.

When grilling a meal, chef Robert Del Grande in Houston threads ingredients for sauces onto skewers to cook alongside the meat. While the meat rests, he purees the sauce ingredients in a blender.

When grilling a meal, chef Robert Del Grande threads ingredients for sauces onto skewers to cook alongside the meat. While the meat rests, he purees the sauce ingredients in a blender.

Linton Hopkins's aunt Julia—"my paternal grandmother's sister-in-law," he says—made giant vats of this barbecue sauce on her farm in Alabama, then drove around delivering it to everyone in her extended family. Hopkins likes to spoon it over coffee-cured pork shoulder. "To have a meal in the South without roast pork is not really a meal," he says.

Grace Parisi enhances the classic condiment olivada by adding garlic, capers, red pepper and vinegar.

Jam-packed with caraway seeds, this rich smoky relish is as healthy as it is vibrant.

A sort of cross between A1 and Lea & Perrins, two steak sauces Jean-Georges Vongerichten admires for their assertive flavors, the chef created this rich, tamarind-inflected blend. The sauce will keep for weeks in the refrigerator.

This bright-flavored compote pairs beautifully with lamb pita pockets.

Emphasis on the "quick," this tangy recipe can be made in a cool 10 minutes.

"We like to elevate the familiar," says chef Michael Voltaggio. At his restaurant Voltaggio Brothers Steak House outside Washington, DC, Michael and his brother, Bryan, wanted to re-create their favorite store-bought sauce. "It tastes very similar, but we spice ours with gochujang and a little fresh orange juice for sweetness."

While the hearth is the main attraction at Maydan in Washington, D.C., the dips are also spectacular. This Turkish condiment has a puckery tartness from pomegranate molasses and lemon juice.