My husband's Mother has been making this recipe for years and I don't know exactly where she found it, but he seems to want me to make it for every special event in his life. Keep in mind that the saltine crackers, condensed soup and pickles all have a lot of salt, so you don't need to add a lot to the meat. I've made this recipe in a pot on the stove (simmer about an hour) or in the crock pot on low for 4 hours; works well either way. Enjoy!