Cover beans with about 2 inches water in a bowl and let sit overnight.

Drain beans and place in a large pot. Add enough water to cover beans by 1 inch. Add the whole peeled onion, 1/2 of the green pepper, crushed garlic clove and bay leaf.

Bring to a boil and simmer for about 1 hour or until beans are tender. Alternately, you can cook the beans in a pressure cooker at high pressure (approximately 15 psi) for 6 to 9 minutes (see note).

Meanwhile, dice remaining half of the bell pepper. In a sauté pan over medium-low heat, sweat green peppers, tomatoes and diced onions in oil until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute. Season with salt and pepper, oregano, cumin, red wine vinegar and hot sauce.

When beans are tender, remove the vegetables and bay leaf using a slotted spoon. Stir in the sautéed onion-pepper mixture. Taste for additional seasoning. Top with finely chopped onion and vinegar mixture.

Special notes:

To reduce foaming in the pressure cooker, it is recommended that you add 1 to 2 tablespoons oil to the beans. This would be in addition to the oil listed in the ingredients above. Allow the pressure to dissipate naturally.