Scald the milk by adding it to a saucepan and warm it over medium heat until it reaches 180°F (82°C). Set it aside and let it cool.

Heat the pork fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes until most of the fat has melted into grease. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often so they don’t burn. You want them to be translucent and start to brown.

Carefully pour out any remaining grease into a pot (using a strainer is really helpful), and remove any fatty pieces that might be remaining. Set aside.

Add the potatoes to a small saucepan with just enough water to cover them. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, just to soften them up a bit.

Strain the potatoes and add them to the pot with the grease from the onions, then add the boiling water and set the pot over high heat and bring it to a simmer. When the potatoes can be easily pierced with a knife, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the corn, scalded milk, and onions. Stir and slowly bring it to a gentle boil.

If you’re using smaller crackers, you can skip this step. If you’re using large crackers, break them into large pieces and add them to a bowl of cold milk, soak for 10 seconds, and take them out. Set aside.

When the chowder begins to boil, add the salt and pepper and stir. Add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the softened crackers and let them float on top while the chowder simmers for another 10 minutes to 15 minutes to thicken.

If you want to follow the 19th century recipe, take out the crackers, though I find this to be more trouble than it’s worth, since you put them back on top once you’ve ladled the chowder into a bowl. Either way, the chowder is now ready to serve forth.