Make Better Tacos and Tostadas at Home With Jorge Gaviria & Fermín Núñez

Smart moves for tacos al pastor at home + a chance to win their new cookbook celebrating Mexican street food

Masienda founder Jorge Gaviria’s first book was a 272-page reflection on masa, the nixtamalized corn dough that forms the base of tortillas, tamales, and many more staples. That book wove together history and science—and offered up an extensive guide to making masa from scratch.

But when you open Vitamina T, Jorge’s new cookbook with Fermín Núñez of Suerte in Austin, Texas, you immediately get a sense of how much fun you can have with masa—even if you start with the shelf-stable dried version, which just requires a little water (and some squishing) to become a fresh tortilla.

Vitamina T is named for all of the beloved Mexican street foods whose names start with the letter T: your tacos, your tamales, your tostadas. Your tlayudas and tetelas, and your tortas, too.

You’ll want to start with the grilled al pastor tacos—there’s bacon in there along with the marinated thinly cut pork shoulder. But first, maybe the cauliflower ceviche tostadas, which are great for a crowd—and significantly more affordable than seafood. You can get a peek at both recipes if you scroll down.

In our podcast conversation, Jorge and Fermín both kept coming back to the salsa that dresses up all of these dishes. Jorge says the process of making this book emphasized to him that Mexican food is “condiment culture, and condiments are probably my favorite food.”

These days, he’ll throw whatever fresh things he has in the blender, and use the resulting salsa to jazz up a turkey sandwich or an everyday salad. “It will always beat a store-bought salsa, always. Just the freshness of it is really something that’s hard to replicate.”

The book’s salsa recipes, Fermín explains, are a template you can riff on when you’re looking to use up whatever produce you have in your kitchen: “Once you master the guidelines, you can translate that into whatever is looking at you in the fridge.”

Tune in on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or your go-to podcast app to get our full conversation, and scroll down to start cooking from The Dinner Plan’s preview of the book tonight.

Win a copy of Vitamina T

Here’s how to enter:

STEP 1:

• Hit “follow” on The Dinner Plan podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. (On Spotify, you’ll see “follow” just under the show logo, on Apple, you may need to click the … at the top right of the main show page to find the option to follow.) I’m curious where you prefer to listen—lmk in the comments!

STEP 2: You have two options! Pick one of the below.

• Option one: Just sign up as a paid subscriber to this newsletter by end of day Sunday, April 12, 2026. Paid subscribers also get access to this handy list of spring dinner ideas and our mega resource of 99 dinners you didn’t have to think of.

• Option two: Free subscribers can enter the giveaway by sending in a “what’s in my fridge right now” voice memo. We’ll come up with a dinner idea just for you based on what you have around. Follow the full instructions here by Sunday, April 12, 2026.

Winner will be alerted by Substack DM and email. 18+, U.S. addresses only. Giveaway not sponsored or administered by Substack. Ends April 12, 2026. This send includes affiliate links; commissions from your purchase help to keep this newsletter going.

Jorge mentioned:

• Masienda Presents: Helen y Dayanara of Suerte, Austin

• Masa harina from Masienda (use code DINNERPLAN15 for 15% off) / how-to video

• Enchiladas divorciadas

• Beet tostada video

• Pollo rostizado video and recipe

• Douglas Rodriguez’s Short Ribs with Opal Basil Chimichurri, reprinted from Latin Flavors on the Grill

• Alexa Soto’s Plantas: Modern Vegan Recipes for Traditional Mexican Cooking (Bookshop here)

• Travis Lett’s Gjelina: Cooking from Venice, California (Bookshop here)

From the ad break:

• Made In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.

• Get tickets for Cookbook Week at CookbookWeek.com.

• Tune into The Joy of Cooking Podcast wherever you listen.

Fermin mentioned:

• McCormick Mayonesa with lime

• Michel Richard’s Happy in the Kitchen

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Photo: Jeni Afuso and Dylan James Ho

Al Pastor Tacos

Reprinted with permission from Vitamina T: Your Daily Dose of Tacos, Tortas, Tamales, and More Mexican Street Food Classics by Jorge Gaviria and Fermín Núñez with Allegra Ben-Amotz © 2026. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

There are a few technical factors that give professional tacos al pastor—cooked on and deftly carved from a trompo (vertical spit)—a slight edge over homemade, trompo-less tacos al pastor, but that didn’t stop us from getting deliciously close. The trick here is to slice the pork shoulder so as to mimic the extended surface area that the trompo exposes to direct heat. This translates to more char per square bite, and an even tastier char if using good old-fashioned charcoal, which we always recommend.

Vitamina T(ip): This adobo is great not only for pork but also for grilled fish, shrimp, chicken, etc. You may consider doubling the recipe and freezing some for future use on whatever your heart desires.

Makes 16 to 20 tacos

Adobo

• 10 guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded, and veins removed

• 5 dried puya (pulla) chiles, stemmed, seeded, and veins removed

• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

• 5 garlic cloves, peeled

• 2 tablespoons Morton kosher salt

• 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano

Al Pastor

• Kosher salt

• 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut into 1-inch-thick slices

• 4 ounces thinly sliced bacon, cut into 2-inch lengths

• Neutral oil

Tacos

• 16 to 20 corn tortillas, homemade or store-bought, warmed

• 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks (about ¼ medium)

• Minced cilantro, for garnish

• Finely diced white onion, for garnish

• Salsa Verde Cruda (see below) and/or Salsa Roja, for serving

Special Equipment: Blender; charcoal or gas grill or grill pan

1. Make the adobo: In a medium saucepan, combine the guajillo chiles, puya chiles, onion, vinegar, garlic, salt, and oregano. Add just enough water to cover all the ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chiles, onion, and garlic are soft, about 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

2. Transfer the chile mixture to a blender along with all of the liquid from the pan and blend on medium-high until smooth.

3. Make the al pastor: Lightly salt the sliced pork and let rest for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the pork and bacon. Pour the adobo over the meat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.

4. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for high heat. Clean the grates well and brush them with oil. (Alternatively, preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush the pan with oil.) Grill the marinated pork and bacon over direct heat until well done, about 5 minutes per side for the pork and 3 minutes per side for the bacon. (Careful: the fatty bacon will likely catch fire on the grill.)

5. Remove the pork and bacon to a cutting board and chop together into thin strips.

6. Assemble the tacos: Top each tortilla with the chopped meat, the pineapple, cilantro, and onion, then serve with your choice of salsa.

Salsa Verde Cruda

Makes about 4 cups

Many salsas call for boiled, versus raw, tomatillos as a way of gradually softening their acidity and coaxing some of the umami-like properties that they—like tomatoes—can contribute to a dish. Yet, as we have seen time and time again, some privileged tacos in the top 1 percent of richness don’t exactly need more. Some might say they need a bracing, citrusy reality check that levels the playing field, restores the order, and spreads the wealth—and raw tomatillos are just the measure we need to make VERY RICH tacos the best they can absolutely be! We are Fermín and Jorge, and we approve this message.

• 5 medium-large tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered

• 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and roughly chopped

• 1 serrano chile, stemmed and roughly chopped

• 4 scallions (white and green parts), trimmed and sliced

• ½ bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped (leaves and tender stems; about 1 cup)

• ⅓ cup fresh lime juice (2 to 3 limes)

• ¼ cup olive oil

• ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt, plus more as needed

Special Equipment: Food processor

1. In a food processor, blend the tomatillos for 1 minute. Add the jalapeño, serrano, scallions, and cilantro and process for about 30 seconds or until you reach a roughly chopped consistency.

2. With the food processor running, stream in the lime juice, followed by the olive oil, and process for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, until you reach a light green color and a rustic consistency (i.e., not totally smooth, with flecks of cilantro and chile still visible).

3. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the salt. Taste and season with more salt as needed. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.

Photo: Jeni Afuso and Dylan James Ho

Cauliflower Ceviche Tostadas

Reprinted with permission from Vitamina T: Your Daily Dose of Tacos, Tortas, Tamales, and More Mexican Street Food Classics by Jorge Gaviria and Fermín Núñez with Allegra Ben-Amotz © 2026. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Variations of this faux-fish dish have become de moda, or fashionable, on the internet recently, and with good reason: It’s really tasty and sneaky-vegan to boot. Extra points (and antioxidants) if you make the ceviche multicolored, but straight white cauliflower will make this a full-on ceviche deepfake.

Steaming the cauliflower to an al dente texture and immediately shocking it in an ice bath is mission-critical, or else you’ll end up with a mushy mess of a ceviche. Remember, we will be “cooking” the cauliflower further with the lime juice, so don’t wing it with the steam time on this one, ya’ hear? If you aren’t making this for a tostada topping, serve it on its own with chips.

Makes 4 tostadas

Cauliflower Ceviche (makes 5½ cups)

• 1 medium head of cauliflower, trimmed and cored

• 1 cup finely diced ripe Roma (plum) tomato (about 1 medium)

• ½ cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)

• 1 serrano chile, stemmed and thinly sliced into rounds

• 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and thinly sliced into rounds

• ¼ cup finely diced red onion (about ½ small)

• ¼ cup finely diced white onion (about ½ small)

• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro

• Kosher salt

Tostadas

• 4 Baked Tostadas (below) or store-bought tostadas

• 4 cups Cauliflower Ceviche

• ½ avocado, sliced

• Salsa Macha (below), for serving

Special Equipment: Steamer basket/insert

1. Make the Cauliflower Ceviche: Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and water, and keep near the stove. In a pot that fits a steamer basket or insert, add two inches of water and bring to a boil. Place the cauliflower in a steamer basket or insert, set it over the boiling water, cover the pot, and steam the whole head of cauliflower for 6 minutes. Immediately transfer the cauliflower to the ice bath to cool. (This is crucial for the proper texture of the ceviche.)

2. Cut the cooled cauliflower into bite-size pieces—as though you are chopping fish for ceviche.

3. In a large bowl, stir together the chopped cauliflower, the tomato, lime juice, serrano and jalapeño chiles, red and white onions, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt. You can store the cauliflower ceviche in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

4. Make the tostadas: Top each tostada with about 1 cup of the ceviche and add a few slices of avocado, then serve with a drizzle of the salsa macha.

Baked Tostadas

When it comes to homemade tostadas, many count on this method because it allows you to prepare larger batches at a time, as opposed to one or two tostadas at a time (like the comal and fry methods, respectively). If you are craving a bit more oomph, consider rubbing or brushing both sides of the tortillas with oil and giving them a light dusting of salt before baking. Feel free to fit as many tortillas as your sheet pan will hold without overlapping (our half-sheets comfortably hold six).

Makes 4 tostadas

• 4 corn tortillas, homemade or store-bought

• 2 teaspoons olive oil (optional)

• Kosher salt (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with a wire rack.

2. If using olive oil and salt, brush both sides of each tortilla with the oil to lightly coat and then sprinkle with salt. Place the tortillas on the wire rack without overlapping. If you want them super flat, place another wire rack on top of the tortillas.

3. Bake the tortillas until crunchy, about 25 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Salsa Macha

Literally translated as “brave salsa” (a reference to the spice level of some machas, though not necessarily this one), salsa macha is a type of chile oil traditionally prepared with some combination of chiles, nuts and/or seeds, spices, and occasionally dried fruits. This version is fundamentally savory with a vinegary base note and a hint of sweetness from the ancho chiles (which we have been known to eat right out of the bag, like dried fruit). With the exception of the garlic, this salsa macha is composed of dry, shelf-stable ingredients, which should give you up to four weeks of freshness—if you can even ration it for that long.

Makes 3 to 4 cups

• 4 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded

• 4 guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded, and veins removed

• 8 chiles de árbol, stemmed and seeded

• 8 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1 cup raw sesame seeds

• ½ cup raw peanuts

• ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds

• 1 cup olive oil

• 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, plus more as needed

• 1 tablespoon Morton kosher salt, plus more as needed

Special Equipment: Food processor

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the ancho chiles, followed by the guajillo chiles, then the chiles de árbol, pressing them down occasionally until fragrant, about 2 minutes each for the ancho and guajillo chiles and 1 minute for the chiles de árbol, taking care not to burn them. Transfer the chiles to a bowl and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes.

3. In a food processor, pulse the garlic and the toasted chiles until finely chopped. Transfer to a metal bowl.

4. Spread the sesame seeds on the sheet pan and bake until toasted and golden brown, about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Transfer the sesame seeds to the bowl.

5. Spread the peanuts on a sheet pan and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Transfer the peanuts to the bowl.

6. Spread the pumpkin seeds on the sheet pan and bake until toasted, about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through. Transfer the pumpkin seeds to the bowl.

7. In a small saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Carefully pour the hot oil over the contents of the bowl.

8. Add the vinegar and salt and stir until combined. Taste and season with more salt and vinegar as needed.

9. Transfer the salsa macha to a clean jar or container. Let it cool to room temperature before sealing. Store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.