Pastel de Atún (Mexican Tuna Cake)

In a blender, combine tuna, media crema, pepper strips, cream cheese, and American cheese and blend until smooth, scraping down sides halfway through with a flexible spatula, about 1 minute. Working in batches, blend in jalapeño peppers until desired heat level is reached and a completely smooth sauce has formed. Season with salt to taste. Transfer sauce to a medium bowl. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez Using a small offset spatula, spread 1/2 cup sauce (115g) in an even layer that covers the bottom of a 8- by 8-inch square pan, then lay down four slices of bread on top of sauce, so that the edges are touching, forming a single solid layer. Repeat layering process with sauce and bread, making sure to spread the sauce evenly across bread and covering any exposed areas (the sauce should be absorbed by the bread without soaking it all the way through); you should have 5 layers. Cover top layer of bread evenly with remaining sauce, smoothing out any rough areas. Garnish top with pepper strips as desired. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez Slice cake into quarters or eighths and serve. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez