Put aside your preconceived knowledge of vinaigrettes and their limited role as a basic dressing for salads.

Today’s chefs have taken the concept far beyond tossed greens. Nowadays, for instance, a flavorful vinaigrette is just as likely to participate in the presentation of the main dish.

In one manner it has become popular to serve the components of the vinaigrette — oil and vinegar — separately on the plate.

In Mediterranean cuisines, it’s a particularly popular method for presenting condiments. In fact, one of my favorite appetizers within this genre was perfected by Napa Valley chef Michael Chiarello and is, quite simply, puddles of balsamic vinegar reduction and basil oil, served with slices of fresh mozzarella and summer tomatoes.

In classic French cuisine, there was a time when the appearance of even a trace amount of fat on the surface of a sauce meant that the sauce had broken, the result of a careless or inept chef. However, these days, our views of what makes a sauce a sauce have changed.

Thanks to a merging of cuisines, and because sometimes diners are simply looking for healthier options to rich sauces, we now have all sorts of creative and tasty saucing alternatives from salsas to vinaigrettes — wonderful and zesty counterpoints to a lovely smoked chop or grilled breast of chicken.

Within the realm of vinaigrettes-as-sauces, chefs have taken to pureeing the vinaigrettes with other ingredients, such as fresh tomatoes or fire-roasted peppers, to stabilize the sauce and smooth out the flavor.

The hot tomato vinaigrette recipe that follows is an excellent example of just that style. So the next time you reach for that bottle of homemade vinaigrette, contemplate its potential for enhancing dishes beyond your nightly tossed-green salad. It’s a fabulous way to bring a little more zoom into the kitchen.

This vinaigrette is wonderful with grilled, poached or steamed fish or shellfish. It uses hot tomato coulis (chopped tomatoes lightly sauteed in oil) as the emulsifier and is given extra flavor and complexity with a reduced broth. The vinaigrette is then combined with what is known as a "beurre fondu," also known as emulsified butter, for a rich and slightly thickened experience.

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vinaigrette

Using a sharp knife, trim all fat and silver skin from the tenderloins and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the mustard, vinaigrette and vegetable oil and whisk to combine. Transfer contents to a resealable plastic bag and add the tenderloins. Turn the tenderloins so that they are evenly coated with the marinade, then seal the bag, trying to remove as much air as possible. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes (or up to 24 hours) before proceeding.

To cook, either select the stove-top/oven option, or the grill option.

Stove-top/oven option: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large oven-proof saute pan or skillet over high heat. When hot, add the tenderloins and brown on all sides, turning occasionally to ensure even cooking, about 6 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the tenderloins are medium to medium-well, or registers 140 to 150 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the meat from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Grill option: Preheat grill. Place tenderloins on rack and grill over medium-high heat, turning every 4 minutes or so until all sides are browned and the tenderloins are cooked to desired stage of doneness. Total cooking time, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove meat from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Slice the meat into 1/2-inch thick slices on the diagonal, and serve immediately, with some of the remaining rosemary apple-vinaigrette spooned over the top.

Rosemary-apple vinaigrette