Plenty of people will have a tough time taking pumpkin seeds seriously.

Fair enough. Americans unfamiliar with Hispanic foods generally only encounter them in the glop scraped out of jack-o'-lanterns.

But roasted, hulled pumpkin seeds (properly known as pepitas) are a delicious, nutty backbone of many Mexican dishes and are well worth getting to know.

Thanks to the popularity of Hispanic foods, they are easy to find. Trader Joe's alone sells several varieties — raw, roasted, salted and not, among others.

Pepitas resemble long, narrow teardrops and are greenish in color (because their hard white hulls have been removed). Don't buy regular "snacking" pumpkin seeds still in their hulls.

Like many nuts and seeds, pepitas taste best when toasted and salted. The flavor is nutty, pleasantly oily and crunchy, but not hard.

If you can only find raw pepitas, don't worry. They are easy to toast at home. Simply add a handful or so to a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly until the seeds puff and begin to brown. If you like, stir in a few drops of vegetable oil, then salt.

Traditionally, pepitas are used both ground and whole. They often are included in mole, a rich and thick saucelike dish that usually includes chicken. They also can be mixed into roasted vegetables (especially butternut and other squash varieties) for a pleasantly nutty crunch.

Pepitas really shine when added to salads. Think of them as this decade's update of the rather tasteless sunflower seeds that long have populated salad bars.

GRILLED FLANK STEAK WITH PEPITA-CILANTRO SAUCE

This bold sauce is inspired by chimichurri. The steak can be served alone with the sauce or thinly sliced over toasted bread.

Start to finish: 20 minutes, plus marinating

Servings: 4

For the steaks:

¼ cup olive oil

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