Sauteed or Stir-Fried

1. Cut off the protruding stems and bottoms of the collard green leaves with a sharp, non-serrated kitchen knife and discard the pieces. Remove the rubber band, if present, that binds the bunch of leaves.

2. Submerge the collard greens in a large bowl of cold water and gently swish them around. Empty the water and repeat until the leaves are clean and no debris appears in the water. Dry the leaves in a salad spinner or by rolling them up in paper towels.

3. Stack the the collard green leaves evenly and roll them up tightly. Slice them into approximately 1-inch thick ribbons.

4. Heat cooking oil in a large, deep skillet or wok over high heat, coating the cooking surface. Saute or stir-fry finely chopped garlic or onion, ginger, chili pepper, bell pepper, sliced carrots or other herbs and aromatics until lightly browned, for about 1 to 2 minutes. Move the pieces around constantly with a cooking spoon.

5. Add at least 1 tablespoon of soy sauce per bunch of collard greens and put the greens into the skillet or wok. Move and turn them around continuously for around 2 minutes, just until they become limp.

Braised

1. Slice off the bottoms of the collard green leaves with a high-quality non-serrated knife. Take off the rubber band to separate the leaves.

2. Press the leaves down into a large bowl of cold water and gently move them around. Dump out the water and refill the bowl. Repeat this washing process until you no longer see any dirt or foreign matter in the bowl. Use a salad spinner to dry the collard greens or roll them up in paper towels.

3. Pile the collard green leaves on top of each other and roll them tightly into a cigar shape. Chop them into ribbons about 1-inch thick.

4. Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and coat the bottom with cooking oil. Saute minced garlic or onion along with any other desired herbs, spices and aromatics. Cook them for about 3 minutes, moving them around continuously with a cooking spoon.

5. Add about 1 cup of chicken or other stock to the pot, along with soy sauce to taste. Press the chopped collard greens down into the pot with the cooking spoon and stir everything together. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.

6. Cover the saucepan and simmer the collard greens for approximately 1 hour, until they reach the desired tenderness. Stir the contents of the pot periodically during braising.