Kale: Prep

For other varieties, as a rule of thumb, if a stem or rib snaps cleanly, include it in your cooking with the leaves. With older, more fibrous specimens, strip the leaves off and discard the stalks or slice finely and cook them for longer. This is almost always required with curly kale and cavolo nero, though you may find a cluster of young tender leaves at the core that doesn’t need to be de-ribbed.