Online Mexican cooking class: masa to tacos
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Nixtamalize corn, grind it into masa, press tortillas, then cook nine dishes from it, on video with Santiago Lastra, chef and founder of KOL in London.
- 9 lessons
- 1 hr 35 min
- Mexican
- Easy
Rated 4.8 ★ by 60.2K App Store users · App of the Day in 120+ countries
What you'll learn
9 lessons · 1 hr 35 min total
Introduction FREE
#1 Definition of Masa FREE
#2 Nixtamalization and Grinding Corn into Masa FREE
#3 Making Tortillas FREE
#4 Other Masa Preparations 
#5 Short Rib Quesadilla with Greengage Plum Ketchup 
#6 Crab Chalupa with Enoki Mushrooms 
#7 Cricket Salsa Macha 
#8 Ribeye Costra with Caramelized Cheese 
#9 Grilled Squid and Steamed Taco with Camelina Seeds
At the end of this course you will be able to:
Run the nixtamalization process from dry corn to a ground, workable masa.
Adjust hydration so the dough presses clean instead of cracking at the edge.
Press and cook tortillas, chalupas and a steamed taco from one masa dough.
Toast a cricket salsa macha and finish a taco with heat, fat and crunch.
About this class
This online Mexican cooking class starts at the corn. Lesson two is nixtamalization: dried corn cooked in an alkaline solution, steeped, rinsed and ground into fresh masa.
Texture and flavour come down to three variables: how far the lime loosens the skin, how fine the grind, and how much water the dough carries. Tortillas come first, then dishes such as a short rib quesadilla, a crab chalupa and a cricket salsa macha. You leave able to set the dough to the dish.
- Lessons
- 9
- Video
- 1 hr 35 min HD
- Recipes
- 10
- Level
- Easy
- Audio
- English (VO)
- Subtitles
- English, French, German, Spanish, Italian
“For me, masa is how I tell the story of Mexico.”
Santiago Lastra · Executive Chef/Owner @ KOL
PROMasa today, pasta tomorrow.
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MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Santiago Lastra
Chef & Founder, KOL, London · Mexican technique, British produce · ex-Mugaritz
- KOL LondonChef and founder, opened in 2020.
- Mugaritz · NomaCooked at Mugaritz and Noma’s residency in Mexico.
Santiago Lastra is the Mexican chef and founder of KOL in London, which he opened in 2020 to cook contemporary Mexican food from British produce. He cooked his first dish at thirteen and was working weekends in an Italian kitchen in Mexico at fifteen.
He went on to Mugaritz in Spain and to Noma's residency in Mexico, and took a working rule out of both: apply Mexican technique and flavour to whatever grows locally. In this class he starts at the corn and ends at nine finished plates.
See Santiago Lastra’s Instagram profileNixtamal calculator
Example values. Lime, water and tortilla size change with the corn and the dish (Wikipedia). Each lesson gives Santiago’s own formula.
What the community says
- Gronda member
Results from Bogotá, Colombia.
Cristina NavarroI lost too much water while cooking and the corn wasn’t covered anymore. Can I add water after cooking?
Santiago LastraThat’s perfectly fine. Add enough hot water after cooking to cover the corn again. It won’t harm the nixtamalization or the residual cooking.
Key concepts
Nixtamalization
Cooking dried corn in an alkaline solution, then steeping and rinsing it before grinding. Taught in lesson #2. (Wikipedia)
Masa
The dough ground from nixtamalized corn, the base for tortillas. Taught in lesson #1. (Wikipedia)
Salsa macha
A Mexican oil-based salsa of fried dried chiles, often with nuts or seeds. Taught in lesson #7. (Wikipedia)
Chalupa
A thick masa base, shaped and fried, then topped. Taught in lesson #6. (Wikipedia)
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the free trial work?
3 of the 9 lessons are free, no card required. To watch all of them with Santiago, start a Gronda PRO trial. Cancel before it ends and you pay nothing.
Can I make masa at home?
Yes. Lesson #1 defines masa, lesson #2 takes you from dried corn through nixtamalization to ground masa, and lesson #4 covers other masa preparations.
What will I cook in this class?
Tortillas first, then a short rib quesadilla, a crab chalupa, a cricket salsa macha, a ribeye costra with caramelized cheese, and a grilled squid and steamed taco.
What level is it, and what language?
The level is easy. Santiago teaches in English, with subtitles in English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.
Can I watch on my phone?
Yes, in the Gronda app on iPhone and Android, or in the browser at gronda.com.
Can I cancel my membership anytime?
Yes. App Store or Google Play: in your phone’s subscription settings. gronda.com: in your account settings. No fees, no calls.
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