Rinse, sort & soak dried beans overnight. If you can't soak overnight, boil for 2 to 3 mins in 2 quarts of UNSALTED water, take off heat and let soak for 1 hour. Drain & rinse.

Add beans, both soaked and canned, as well as the diced tomatoes to a 6 quart pot with 1 1/2 quarts of UNSALTED water and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce to high simmer (between 3 & 4 out of 10). Cover.

Heat a10"skillet until just starting to smoke a little and add the grape seed oil. Make sure bottom is coated, then add cube-cut steak and brown. Add meat to beans.

Add more grape seed oil. Saute diced onion until soft then add all seasonings and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until tomato paste turns the color of a red brick (adding a small amount of water if it sticks). Add entire mixture to beans.

Stir until completely mixed together, cover & cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add a small amount of water, 1 cup at a time, if it gets too thick too quickly.

You can use beef broth or vegetable broth instead of water, but I didn't have any yesterday so I used water. My son and I added some Louisiana style hot sauce, but Tobasco works too. I served brown rice with it, but white rice & yellow rice work too. The key to cooking is being willing and able to adapt any recipe to fit your mood and pantry! ;-)