A Batch of Really Good Black Beans

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: beans are better from scratch. Take these black beans, simmered with aromatic onion, chipotle chile, whole cumin seeds, and bay leaf. These ingredients infuse the beans with a delicious smoky-savory flavor through and through while the long simmer ensures that you get tender, moist beans without a trace of the papery dryness that’s often present in canned beans. This recipe makes plenty of beans. I usually divide the batch into 1½-cup portions (th