Render out fat from salt pork in a dutch oven or soup pot and drain off all but about 1-2 tablespoons of the fat, just enough to cook the mirepoix in.

Add the onion, celery, carrot, leek and bell pepper  to the pan and saute until the vegetables are tender.

Stir in the garlic, Worcestershire sauce,  tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram diced potatoes, clam base, water, Tabasco and black pepper along with the drained juice from the cans of clams. Do NOT add the clams or salt just yet.

Bring soup to a boil and then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes cook and become tender.

Add the clams to the soup and then taste to see how much salt it needs. Heat just enough at this point to warm the clams. If you boil them, they will become tough and rubbery.

Serve hot with crackers, if desired.