Steaks, chicken, burgers and hot dogs will grace the grill through through many a barbecue. For special occasions like the Fourth of July, though, kebabs are a show-stopper. They’re a little fussy to make, but kebabs invariably delight. What is it about dinner on a stick?

Here are two ideas that surely will elevate your celebration. To really take it over the top, add the suggested hot sauces.

But first, some kebab tips:

>> Leave a bit of space between pieces on your skewers so each can cook to perfection.

>> Plan on one to two skewers of meat or shrimp for each guest.

>> Whether you choose wooden or metal skewers, select long ones. The cooler part of the skewer can then be used as a handle, which makes turning the kebabs easier.

>> Kebabs cook quickly, so you’ll need to babysit them at the grill, turning them frequently.

ADDING VEGGIES

Plan on a skewer of vegetables for each of your guests as well, to round out the meal.

Skewer meat and vegetables separately. Although ready-made kebabs sold at grocery stores look appealing, with meat and veggies mixed on sticks, these items cook at different speeds. Putting them on the same skewer will mean underdone meat and perfect vegetables — or perfect meat and overdone vegetables. Plus, cherry tomatoes always seem to fall off.

Vegetable kebabs don’t have to be limited to peppers, zucchini and onion. Try mushroom skewers, mixing portobello, cremini, white button and shiitake. Or consider ratatouille skewers of Japanese eggplant rounds, zucchini, jarred roasted peppers and onion chunks.

Squash skewers could include chopped butternut squash — buy the pre-cut stuff and precook it until it can just be pierced with a fork — as well as zucchini and yellow squash. Crucifer skewers of blanched cauliflower, broccoli florets and Brussels sprouts sweeten when grilled.

Mix suitable fruits with vegetables if you like; pineapple’s a good choice, as are peaches.

Cook these skewers on a cooler part of the grill, and brush them as they cook with olive oil warmed with crushed garlic, a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To serve, ditch the skewers. Slide the cooked vegetables onto a platter, and everyone can have some of everything.

IF LAMB kebabs are your choice, this garlicky marinade will enhance the meat’s richness. An herby Yemeni sauce called Z’hug (see sauce recipes at far right) complements that richness and stands up to the flavors of the robust marinade.

LAMB KEBABS

By Robin Mather

• 1-1/2 pounds leg of lamb, cut into 1-1/2 to 2-inch cubes
• >> Marinade:
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons dry red wine
• 1/2 small onion, cut into chunks
• 4 large cloves garlic, smashed, minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1-1/2 teaspoons each dried oregano, basil, rosemary and cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a blender or food processor, combine marinade ingredients. Whiz until mixture thickens — it will look like mayonnaise when you’re done.

Pour marinade into a gallon zip-close plastic bag. Add lamb, seal and knead to make sure marinade touches all lamb pieces. Refrigerate 8 to 24 hours, turning once or twice.

At cooking time, remove lamb from marinade and pat excess marinade away with paper towels. Discard remaining marinade. Thread lamb pieces onto skewers, 4 or 5 cubes on each.

Grill over a hot fire, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve with Z’hug. Serves 4.

Appoximate nutritional information, per serving: 304 calories, 18 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 100 mg cholesterol, 2 g carbohydrates, 33 g protein, 535 mg sodium, no sugar or fiber.

WHEN MAKING shrimp kebabs, don’t let the shrimp marinate too long; the acidity of the wine and orange juice will “cook” the shrimp — just as with ceviche. The bacon’s smokiness echoes the Comeback Sauce (below right), enhancing the shrimp’s citrusy flavor.

BACON-SHRIMP KEBABS

By Robin Mather

• 1-1/2 pounds shrimp (21-25 per pound)
• 1 pound bacon
• >> Marinade:
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (such as an oaky chardonnay) or vermouth
• Zest and juice of 1 large orange
• 6 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled
• 1 teaspoon each ground cumin, coarse salt, freshly ground pepper

Combine marinade ingredients in a gallon zip-close plastic bag. Add shrimp, seal and knead briefly to make sure all shrimp are covered. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, no longer, turning once.

At cooking time, remove shrimp from bag and pat excess marinade away with paper towels. Discard marinade.

Cut bacon crosswise in half. Wrap each shrimp with a half strip of bacon; then skewer them, making sure to pierce both ends of bacon. Continue with remaining shrimp and bacon.

Cook over a hot fire until bacon is crisp and shrimp is pink, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Serve with Comeback Sauce. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 416 calories, 23 g total fat, 6 g saturated fat, 315 mg cholesterol, 3 g carbohydrates, 1 g sugar, 48 g protein, 966 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

ADD A SPICY SAUCE TO THE PARTY

>> Z’hug (for lamb): Place 1 bunch parsley, 1 bunch cilantro, 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 jalapenos and 2 serrano peppers in a food processor. Process into a paste, then thin with olive oil to a saucy consistency. Taste and adjust heat by adding cracked red pepper flakes.

>> Comeback Sauce (for shrimp): In a medium bowl, combine 3/4 cup each mayonnaise and ketchup, 1/4 cup hot sauce such as Sriracha, 2 tablespoons minced green onion, 1 tablespoon each lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon each dry mustard and smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon each black pepper and salt. If sauce is too thick, thin it with olive oil.