Dice the white onion into 1/4-inch pieces, seed and finely mince the jalapeño, mince the garlic cloves, halve the grape tomatoes, and roughly chop the collard greens. In a small bowl, combine the ground ginger, ground coriander, ground cinnamon, turmeric, ground cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper. I like to toast my spices together in a dry skillet for about 30 seconds before adding them to the meat—this blooms their flavors and makes them more vibrant in the final dish.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the diced onion and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and diced jalapeño, stirring constantly for 1 minute to release their aromatic oils without burning them.

Add the ground beef to the skillet, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Immediately add the spice mixture from Step 1, stirring constantly to distribute the seasonings evenly throughout the meat. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the beef is browned and no longer pink. I find that letting the meat sit undisturbed for 30 seconds between stirs helps develop better browning and deeper flavor.

Add the roughly chopped collard greens and halved grape tomatoes to the skillet, stirring gently to combine with the cooked beef and aromatics. The greens will begin to wilt from the heat of the pan. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the collard greens are tender and the tomatoes have softened slightly.

Remove the skillet from heat and drizzle the fresh lemon juice over the entire dish. Stir gently one final time to distribute the lemon juice evenly and brighten all the flavors. The dish is ready to serve immediately while it's warm.