My Best New England Clam Chowder - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 -6 ounces salt pork, diced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onion (I always use a sweet onion)
2 tablespoons flour
fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
thyme (to taste})
5 cups cooked diced potatoes
1 quart half-and-half (you can use fat free)
1 cup approx. low sodium chicken broth
3 (6 1/2 ounce) cans minced clams or (6 1/2 ounce) cans chopped clams, plus
1 cup clam juice
chopped Italian parsley
fresh lemon juice, to taste
hot pepper sauce
salt

Preparation

Cover salt pork with water and bring to boil over med-hi heat. Cook 5 minutes.
With slotted spoon, transfer pork to dutch oven and cook over med-hi heat until crisp. Remove and discard pork and all but a little bit of the drippings.
Add butter and when melted, add the onions and saute until golden.
Stir in flour and cook over low heat 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stir in the pepper and thyme. Add potatoes, 1/2 & 1/2 and chicken broth.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. (Be careful and watch that it doesn't cook above a simmer or very long!).
Add clams, clam juice, parsley; simmer another 5 min.; stirring occasionally.
Add lemon juice and pepper sauce and salt to taste. Serve with oyster crackers.