She's boiled dozens of eggs, mashed a concerning number of potatoes, and roasted more broccoli than she cares to recall.It found an especially bright 15 minutes of fame as the single word emblazoned on a sweatshirt Beyoncé wore in her music video for “7/11.” It was roasted into chips by Gwyneth Paltrow on primetime television.It’s frost-resistant, enjoys a harvest during the time of year when the rest of us hibernate, and one cup of it has 134 percent of your daily recommended vitamin C, for the love of god.If you ever want to feel like you’re living in a Juice Generation, consider purchasing 10 bunches of lacinato kale and storing them front and center in your otherwise empty refrigerator.Should you then want to obliterate that fantasy instantaneously, simply toss in about 25 peeled garlic cloves and a bowl of crushed red pepper flakes.1 bunch lacinato kale, ribs removed, roughly chopped (about 3 cups tightly packed).Oil was naturally excluded in the Steam Only trial—as were the garlic and red pepper flakes, since I forgot to add both to the steamer and would have thus had to eat both raw.Forget what I said back there about having boundaries—I would like to propose to the Sauté Only kale and spend the rest of my life eating it (not in an Armie Hammer way).It was tender enough—though nothing like the velvety Blanch & Slow Sauté or Braise batches; more on those in a minute—with just an inkling of body and chew.The light scorch of the greens merged perfectly with the tart lemon, smoky-hot pepper, and piercing salt for an intense few bites.The Sauté & Steam kale ranked top of the class for efficiency, but bottom for texture and flavor.The kale itself wasn’t as fully seasoned as Sauté Only kale—the broth diluted things somewhat, and I suspect also prevented the greens from taking in as much salt and acid.But it was perfectly edible (a crispy fried egg would’ve done wonders) and a little softer than the Sauté Only kale, so I will still use this method when I’m after gentler textures.When the water reaches a boil, add 3 tightly packed cups of de-stemmed, roughly chopped lacinato kale to the steamer basket.Despite how dire and limp the situation appeared about 15 minutes in, by the 22-minute mark I had crisp, boldly flavored chips that shattered like fiberglass or my self-confidence in almost any workout class.While lacking in structural integrity—the hummus I dipped these in looked like it hosted a shipwreck—the roasted kale chips disappeared quickly, thanks to the little ones.Add 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.Partially cover and let simmer over medium heat for 8 to 12 minutes, until the greens are tender and the braising liquid is delicious.About once a week, I encounter a cooked vegetable situation that makes me want to drop everything and boil a pound of rigatoni so I can mix everything together and cover it in cheese.To even the playing field, I admit that the cooked kale on its own tasted a little bitter, a flavor not present in any other method.Add 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves, 3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and 3 tightly packed cups of de-stemmed, roughly chopped lacinato kale.The texture of the Simmer in Broth kale was so wonderful and unique, it inspired me to draw a series of stars around the phrase “buttery roughage” on my to-do list.The kale was beyond soft, like silk slapped with a meat tenderizer and, despite its faded hue, had a delightfully subtle flavor.Like the Sauté & Steam kale, if I were making this outside the bounds of a restrictive head-to-head test, I would add additional seasoning, as the broth dilutes most of the salt, pepper, and lemon.Add 3 tightly packed cups of de-stemmed, roughly chopped lacinato kale and blanch for 2 minutes.Obviously, after being slow-sautéed for 30 minutes with lots of garlic, oil, and friends, this kale tasted like something I would pay $14 for at a Tuscan restaurant.The resulting greens lost so much volume that by the time they hit the Dutch oven, I was working with less than a cup of leaves.For a snack, Roast kale at 325°F after you’ve tossed it with oil, salt, and any aromatics or seasonings that appeal.If time is not of the essence—but the most supremely buttery, deeply flavored kale is of the essence—turn to the Blanch & Slow Sauté method
