Smoky Santa Maria-Style Beans

Begin by placing a generous amount of pink beans into a large, spacious container and cover them with several inches of cool water; allow the mixture to sit for 8 hours, or overnight. Drain the liquid.

Next, transfer the drained beans into a large stockpot and add enough cold water to cover them completely. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook until they are almost tender, approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.

While the beans are simmering away, cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until it reaches a cooked state but is still slightly soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add diced ham; cook and stir until the ham is heated through, roughly 1 minute. Stir minced garlic into the ham mixture and cook until it becomes fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add chopped tomatoes, 1/2 cup of water, ketchup, sugar, dry mustard, paprika, chili powder, salt, chipotle chile powder, and dried oregano. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook until the flavors blend together harmoniously, about 30 minutes.

Once the beans are done simmering, drain them and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid for later use. Combine the beans, reserved liquid, and tomato mixture in the same stockpot; bring the mixture to a gentle simmer once more, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and the mixture has thickened, approximately 30 minutes.