In a 6-8 quart stock pot cover chicken with water and fill to within 3” of the rim and add tbs kosher salt, celery ribs, onion (leave skin on), head garlic (leave skin on) and carrots

Bring to a light simmer over medium high heat and then reduce to low to maintain the simmer. Do not stir.

When meat is tender and falling from the bone (about 45mins - it might be more or less depending on the cut of chicken you are using), remove the meat from the water with tongs, allow to cool and pick the meat from the bones. Place into a large bowl (or if you have another large stock pot, put the meat in the stock pot). DO NOT DISCARD THE REMAINING WATER IN THE STOCKPOT, YOU WILL NEED IT LATER.

Preheat the oven to 350

Lightly grease an oven proof dish (I am using an oven safe skillet, a roasting pan works too). Place the pork into the dish fat side up (if you note that one side is fatter than the other) and sprinkle with kosher salt, sugar, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Drizzle the top with olive oil.

Place the pork into the oven to roast uncovered.

Check the meat after 40 minutes, when it is ready, it will have shrunk considerably, and feel almost hard on the edges. If it isn’t to this point, put back in the oven and check every 5-10 minutes until it is ready.

When ready, allow to cool enough to touch. Remove it from the pan (just set the pan aside, you’ll need it momentarily).

Using a large kitchen knife or a clever, cut the pork into small pieces and discard any bones.

You’ll notice that there will be some blackened and crusty pieces of meat and fat stuck to the bottom of the pan you cooked in.

Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up the bits and pieces of everything in the pork pan. If you don’t have enough stock to do this, add another ½ cup.

Once you have everything cleaned from the pan, set it aside.

Place the potatoes into a sauce pan and cover with water. Add 1 Tbs salt.

Heat over medium high heat until water is lightly boiling, reduce heat to low. Boil until the potatoes are fork tender. (A fork slides through easily).

Pour the potatoes into a colander and drain well.

Place 25% of the cooked potato chunks into a bowl and set aside.

Place the remaining 75% of the potatoes into a different large bowl and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes well.

In an 8 quart stockpot, combine the chicken, pork, the drippings and juice from the pork pan, the mashed part of the potatoes and gently mix together.

Then add the crushed tomatoes, onion, red pepper flakes, worcestershire, brown sugar, pickle juice, ketchup, liquid smoke, corn, limas, butter, fish sauce and one cup of the reserved chicken stock (the water you cooked the chicken in). Give it all a big stir until everything is well mixed.

Add the reserved potato chunks and after this stir gently so as not to break them up.

Heat on the stove to a simmer over medium heat. When simmering, reduce to low, put the lid on the pot and stir frequently (at least every 5-10 minutes). Allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes but longer is better.

If the stew is thicker than you prefer, add more of the reserved chicken stock.

Be sure to taste and add salt and pepper as needed.