Every Thanksgiving the big moment to decide comes: Do we want my sister Aida’s marvelous pavo borracho, which is short on looks but big on taste, or a traditional turkey that may or may not come out perfectly but the stuffing will be moist and delicious? Or do we want one turkey and a stuffed suckling pig? I’ll leave it for you to decide.

You might be wondering how the suckling pig option ever came up anyway. I always asked my Dominican employees what they were cooking for Thanksgiving and they always answered, “un lechoncito,” a suckling pig. So one day, New York Magazine calls to ask what we were cooking for Thanksgiving and I knew I could not say pavo borracho (they published the recipe first around 1987) or turkey and stuffing so I said a stuffed suckling pig. They did a whole article that Aarón and I collaborated on. It’s still online and they feature the recipes that we actually prepare besides the turkey or pig.

I must confess that our menu is more traditional American than Mexican and I know you’ll love my friend Johnny’s sweet potato casserole that I’ve Mexicanized by making the topping with piloncillo (brown sugar cane) but you can use dark brown sugar.

I am not a dessert person so I’ve got to invite someone who is.

I first published this stuffed suckling pig article in November 2013 but think it’s worth dusting it off and sharing it with you.