When you don’t know what’s for dinner, start with the sauce

The answer to “What’s for dinner?” usually revolves around the choice of protein, but it doesn’t always have to. While we tend to think of sauces as a condiment or supplement to the food at the center of the plate, a good one can easily be made the star.

This recipe includes pork tenderloin but is actually all about the vibrant sauce — a take on a Mexican pipián, in which roasted tomatillos and poblano peppers are blended with pumpkin seeds, sautéed onion and garlic, and fresh cilantro until thick and creamy. It’s lusciously savory and tangy with a little heat from a fresh jalapeño, and earthiness from cumin and allspice. As a bonus, it’s so vegetable-packed that it counts as a serving of vegetables.

It’s a sauce that elevates just about any protein — shrimp, chicken, pork, beans, fish, tofu, eggs, you name it — making the protein more of a background player while the pipián steals the show. You might even be compelled to ditch the protein altogether and eat the sauce scooped up with tortilla chips. It’s freezer-friendly and thaws quickly, so it’s not surprising that having a star-quality, versatile simmer sauce on hand like this one (and this one) has become a weeknight strategy I lean on regularly.

You’ll end up with a double batch of sauce, so you can have some for now and some to refrigerate or freeze for later. (Or you can make the entire batch ahead to save for two future meals.) I paired it here with lean pork tenderloin medallions, which cook up quickly without drying out, but use any protein you like because everyone’s focus will certainly be drawn to the irresistible sauce it’s smothered in. It’s a satisfying meal served over rice or quinoa, or with bread or tortillas on the side. And it can be on the table even faster when the sauce is made ahead, turning the reply to that vexing nightly question into a sauce-centric cinch.

• Ellie Krieger is a registered dietitian nutritionist and cookbook author who hosts public television’s “Ellie’s Real Good Food.” Learn more at elliekrieger.com.

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Pork Tenderloin in Green Pipián Simmer Sauce

For the sauce

1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and patted dry

1 large poblano pepper (about 3 ounces), stemmed, seeded and quartered

2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil, divided

½ cup raw, unsalted hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces), diced

4 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon fine salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, coarsely chopped

1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed and seeded

For the dish

One (1-pound) pork tenderloin, sliced into ½-inch medallions

¼ teaspoon fine salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil

¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Lime wedges, for serving

Make the sauce: Position a rack about 5 inches away from the broiling element and preheat the broiler on HIGH. Cut the tomatillos into quarters and transfer them to a sheet pan along with the poblano pepper. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and toss to coat. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are charred and the tomatillos have begun to collapse. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch), dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pumpkin seeds, stirring once or twice, until fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

In the same skillet over medium heat, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about 1 minute. Stir in the cumin, salt, black pepper and allspice, and cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about 20 seconds. Remove from the heat.

Transfer the broiled tomatillos and poblano, the onion mixture, cilantro, broth, jalapeño and the toasted pumpkin seeds to a blender and blend on high until smooth. You should have about 3½ cups of sauce, twice as much as needed for the following recipe. Refrigerate or freeze the remainder until needed.

Make the dish: Season the pork medallions with the salt and black pepper. Wipe clean the same large skillet you used to make the sauce, then, over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Working in batches as needed, add the pork medallions and cook until browned on both sides and nearly cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining pork. Add 1¾ cups of the sauce to the skillet along with the browned pork, and any accumulated juices, and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the pork is just slightly blush in the center, about 2 minutes. (If the sauce is frozen, transfer the browned pork to a plate. Defrost the sauce in the skillet and bring it to a simmer, then return the pork and any accumulated juices to the pan to finish cooking.) Garnish with the cilantro, and serve, either family-style or in shallow bowls, with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over.

Substitutions: For pork, use peeled and deveined shrimp; boneless, skinless chicken breasts; boneless pork chops; white fish fillets; two (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed; or diced firm or extra-firm tofu, all with an adjustment to the cooking time. For yellow onion, use white onion or shallots. For pumpkin seeds, use sunflower seeds or sliced almonds.

Servings: 4 (makes a 3½-cup double batch of sauce)

This lusciously savory, tangy and creamy take on the traditional Mexican sauce known as pipián features roasted tomatillos and poblano peppers blended with pumpkin seeds, spices and fresh cilantro. Here, it’s simmered with pork tenderloin medallions, but it will elevate just about any protein you like — shrimp, chicken, beans, fish, tofu, you name it. While not mandatory, you can fill out the meal with a starch to help sop up the sauce, such as bread, tortillas, rice or quinoa. This recipe makes a double batch of the sauce, which can be prepared in advance and refrigerated or frozen so it’s on hand for busy weeknights.

Make ahead: The sauce can be prepared and refrigerated for up to 4 days in advance, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Nutritional facts per serving (about 5 pork medallions and scant 1/2 cup sauce): Calories: 274, Fat: 14 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Carbohydrates: 9 g, Sodium: 359 mg, Cholesterol: 74 mg, Protein: 28 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 4 g.

— Ellie Krieger