The night before - or at least 6 hours before - the cook, add rinsed beans to a large bowl, pick them over for debris or broken pieces, and cover with 8 cups of water. Let soak on the counter for a minimum of 6 hours.

Set a 4 or 5 quart stock pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Transfer the bean soaking water to the pot, measuring it as you go. You'll need 6 cups of liquid (the soaking water will probably amount to 4 or 5). Use broth to make up the difference. Let the liquid come to a boil, then add the beans, reducing heat to maintain a steady simmer (meaning, bubbles will break the surface at a perky, but not frenetic, pace). Cover the pot with a lid, or foil.

While the beans begin their long simmer, heat 1 teaspoon (yes, teaspoon) of oil in a roomy saute pan over medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, place the pork shank in the center and sear, turning the shank with tongs every few minutes or so until all flats sides have been browned. Transfer the shank to the bean pot, and recover the pot.

There will be some fat in the pan - add up to 1 tablespoon of the oil (just eyeball it - there should be a thin, even film over the bottom of pan) and allow to heat until shimmering. Add the onions, carrots, peppers, and celery, and saute until all are soft, about 10 minutes, then mix in the garlic and stir until the garlic is fragrant.

Scootch the vegetables to one side of the pan and add the remaining oil to the cleared spot. Measure the paprikas and cumin directly into the oil and stir to make a paste (add a blot more oil if too dry). When the paste is fragrant, add the brown sugar and tomato paste, and stir all into the vegetables. If the vegetable mix is sticky or seems dry, add a couple of tablespoons of the bean soup liquid to the pan. Continue stirring the vegetables until they are well-coated with the spice and tomato paste mixture, then scrape into the soup. Toss in the bay leaf.

Tip: if the pan has lots of browns bits stuck it, deglaze it with a splash of red wine or soup liquid and scrape that into the bean soup pot, too.

Cover completely and continuing simmering for one hour (the beans should have been simmering for about a half hour at this point, so, a total of 1 1/2 hours).

Give the soup a stir, and add the vinegar and dried spices. Re-cover with the lid askew, and continue simmering for another hour.

Remove the pork shank and fish out the bay leaf.

For a thicker soup, transfer about 1 cup of the beans to a mixing bowl, along with a tablespoon of the soup liquid, and puree with an immersion blender or mash with a fork. Stir back into the soup, along with the chopped parsley. Taste, and add salt as needed. Let the soup rest on low heat for 15 minutes before serving.

Serve in extra large mugs (like the crazy big latte mugs from the 90's), topped with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, and a sprinkling of green onions, with a toasty baguette on the side.

Spoon over brown rice or noodles, with more fresh parsley.