Normally, collards need to be cooked a long ass time before they taste good.  But, by then, they take on a really unappetizing khaki color.  You can’t just sauté them in some fat because they normally scorch before they soften enough.  According to the nerds (in a good way) at Cooks Illustrated, the best way to cook collards (and any assertive greens) is to shallow blanch them before sautéing them. 

Wrassle up:

1 ½ teaspoons of Kosher salt

2 pounds of assertive greens, such as kale, collards, mustard, or turnip greens; stemmed, washed in several changes of water, and coarsely chopped.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a deep pot.  Add the salt and greens and stir until wilted.  Cover and cook until the greens are just tender (~7 minutes). 

Drain in a colander.  Rinse the pot with cold water to cool and then refill with cold water.  Pour the greens into the cold water to stop the cooking process.

Gather a handful of greens, lift out of water, and squeeze dry.  (Try using a ricer, you can squeeze out a ton of water.)

Roughly cut up the drained greens and sauté with your favorite fat, aromatics, and swine parts.  All you gotta do, is add ¼ cup of chicken broth, cover for 2 minutes and you’re done!  Collards cooked this way aren’t overly bitter — perfectly tender, bright green, and delicious.