Drain the black beans and put them in a medium-size saucepan. Cover with 6 cups of fresh water and the bay leaf and cook for 1 hour, or until the beans are soft. After 50 minutes, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Cook until soft, then drain, reserving the cooking liquid. In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast the cumin and anise seeds until lightly darkened and fragrant, stirring constantly. Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles de arbol. Toast the chiles with the seeds until slightly darkened on either side, being careful not to burn them. Remove from the heat, and grind the chiles, cumin, and anise to a powder in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Warm the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and saute over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the onion is softened and lightly browned. Add the epazote and the ground spices and saute a few more minutes. Add the sherry and scrape up any brown bits. Raise the heat and reduce the sherry until it is almost evaporated. Add the drained beans plus 2 cups of the reserved bean cooking liquid to the saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes to let the flavors marry and to thicken the beans. Add more liquid if necessary. Remove 1 cup of beans, puree, and add back into the bean pot to thicken. Alternatively, partially blend the sauce with an immersion blender. Add the lemon juice and adjust salt to taste. Since black beans thicken as they sit, adjust the consistency as needed with a little bean cooking liquid or water.
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