Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken breast (2 halves)
• 1 chicken thigh
• 1 chicken liver
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
• 6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) cold water
• 1/2 pound dried Great Northern beans, washed, sorted, and soaked overnight in 2 cups cold water
• 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
• 4 cups (1 quart) canned tomatoes (preferably home- canned), with their liquid
• 4 cups (1 quart) canned whole-kernel corn (preferably home-canned), well drained
• 4 cups (1 quart) canned green peas (preferably home-canned), well drained
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

Instructions

1. Place the chicken breast, thigh, and liver, the pork, and the cold water in a heavy, nonreactive 4-gallon kettle; set over moderately high heat and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the water bubbles gently, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and refrigerate all pieces of chicken. Cover the kettle again and simmer the pork about 1 1/2 hours longer or until very tender.
2. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken, cut the meat into 1-inch chunks, then pulse quickly in a food processor until the texture of coarsely ground meat (in the old days, the chicken was fed through a meat grinder). When the pork is tender, cut into 1-inch chunks, then pulse just as you did the chicken. Also pulse the chicken liver.
3. Return the chicken, liver, and pork to the kettle, add the beans and their soaking water, the onions, tomatoes and their liquid, the corn, and peas. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
4. Add the salt, pepper, and butter, reduce the heat to its lowest point, and simmer the burgoo uncovered for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally, or until as thick as chili. Note: If at any time the burgoo threatens to stick to the bottom of the kettle, slide a heat diffuser underneath.
5. Taste the burgoo for salt and pepper, adjust as needed, then ladle into heated soup bowls.