Sam Sifton's Braised Collard Greens

Despite my Southern heritage, I have never once eaten collards on Thanksgiving (I blame all those over-seasoned and over-cooked bowls of sludgy greens served at family reunions). After cooking up Sam Sifton's Braised Collard Greens, however, I may reconsider.

The greens are shredded then steamed briefly in a potent elixir of bacon fat, butter, and a bottle of beer. Once tender, they cook for only a few minutes to evaporate most of the beer from the pot, and are then tossed with a brightening dash of red wine vinegar. I knew going into the recipe that the bacon and butter would taste great with the greens, but the beer was a total surprise. Its beer-ness dissipates during cooking, leaving only malty sweetness and just a hint of fermented grain to the greens. It was this extra level of complexity that made these greens my favorite side of the season.

Why I picked this recipe: Curious about what beer could bring to the table, I couldn't pass up on this quick and easy green side.

What worked: Bacon, butter, and beer should always grace greens, collards or otherwise.

What didn't: I needed a couple extra minutes to cook off the beer once the greens were steamed, but the collards didn't suffer one bit.

Suggested tweaks: You could absolutely substitute kale or mustard greens here, but I'd steer clear of more tender greens like chard or spinach.

Reproduced by permission of Sam Sifton, author of Thanksgiving: How to Cook it Well. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the author or publisher, Random House.