Mix the salt, baking soda, and 2 T water into the ground beef and then let it sit for at least 20 minutes.

Place all of the spice ingredients into a blender and blend till all very fine.

Set spice mixture aside and process the tomatoes in the same blender until smooth.

Heat oil in a large (12") pan. Saute onions until soft and add garlic. Add beef and use a wooden spoon to break up the meat into small pieces. (about 15 minutes) Allow to brown until fond is created. Add spice mixture and cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the remaining 2 cups of water, sugar, tomato puree and the beans with their liquid. While bringing to a boil, scrape fond up from bottom of pan. Cover and put into a 275 degree oven for 1.5 - 2 hours.

Remove from oven and allow to sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add vinegar and adjust the salt and pepper. Do NOT remove the fat. Mix it in.