Everything you need to buy and prep for Jenny Dorsey’s Week of Meals recipes

“Week of Meals” is a weeknight dinner series that brings you five, easy-to-prepare weeknight recipes from one shopping trip that costs less than $100. Here’s your grocery list and the prep work to do on the day of shopping for Jenny Dorsey’s recipes to set yourself up for effortless cooking the rest of the week.

BUY FRESH
These ingredients will need to be purchased if you don’t already have them.

Meat and Seafood
1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)
2 ½ pounds pig trotters, halved lengthwise and then halved crosswise to make 4 pieces per trotter (ask your butcher to do this; or use small pork shanks)
1 pound ground pork

Produce
2 bunches mustard greens
1 head romaine lettuce
3 lemons
40 garlic cloves (3 to 4 heads)
8 inches fresh ginger
1 serrano chile
3 Persian cucumbers
3 celery stalks
1 ½ small yellow onions
10 shallots
9 scallions
8 tomatillos
6 plum tomatoes
1 bunch basil leaves
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch mint
1 small bunch rosemary (for 2 tablespoons minced)

Pantry
3 quarts bone broth or chicken stock
6 cups homemade or store-bought cooked or canned beans
7 whole star anise pods
2 teaspoons whole allspice
4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs

AT-HOME STAPLES
We’re expecting you to already have these ingredients. If you have to buy them, you will use them again and again in other recipes.

Oil and Vinegar
1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Spices
3 ½ teaspoons whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole brown or yellow mustard seeds
1 cinnamon stick

Dairy/Fridge
7 large eggs

Pantry
1 ½ cups short-grain or long-grain white rice, plus more
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably low-sodium
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Granulated sugar

SUNDAY PREP

This is the cooking you’ll want to do on your shopping day, preferably Sunday, to get more of the laborious or time-consuming tasks out of the way.

Break down a chicken and marinate its parts:
Using a knife or kitchen shears, break down 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds) into 8 pieces: two drumsticks, two thighs, two wings and two boneless breasts. Save the carcass for making chicken stock, if you‘d like.

For the bone-in pieces:
Transfer the drumsticks, thighs and wings to a large resealable plastic bag or bowl. In a blender, combine the following:

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon whole cumin
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Blend the ingredients together into a smooth paste and then scrape onto the chicken pieces in the bag. Close the bag, squeezing all the air out as you do, then massage the paste into all the pieces. Transfer the bag to the refrigerator and marinate at least 2 days and up to 5 days to use in the Chipotle-Braised Chicken With Tomatillo Bean Salad.

For the breast pieces:
Remove and discard the skin from the breast pieces. Separate the tenders from the breast meat, then place all four pieces on a plate. Warm a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add:

2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons whole allspice
1 whole star anise pod

Toast the spices, tossing occasionally, until fragrant and the salt starts to turn yellow, about 10 minutes. Pick out the spices and process them to a fine powder in a spice grinder. Combine the ground spices with the salt, then rub the salt all over the chicken breast pieces and tenders. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 days or up to 5 days to use in the Salted Chicken with Ginger-Mint Sauce and Sautéed Lettuce.

Par-cook the pig trotters:
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, place 2 ½ pounds pig trotters, halved lengthwise and then halved crosswise to make 4 pieces per trotter (ask your butcher to do this; or use small pork shanks).

Cover with cold water by 2 inches, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook for 1 hour. Drain the trotters, discarding the cooking liquid, then let cool to room temperature. Transfer the trotters to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 4 days, to use in the Quick-Braised Pig Trotters With Star Anise and Lemon.

Prepare the Herby Pork Meatballs:
In a large bowl, combine:

1 pound ground pork
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs (or regular breadcrumbs)
3 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Mix everything together until evenly combined, then shape into 12 to 14 meatballs, about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Transfer the meatballs to a parchment paper- or foil-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days to use in the Mustard Greens and Beans Soup With Herby Pork Meatballs.

Make the Tomatillo Bean Salad:
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, then add 4 peeled and rinsed tomatillos.

Cook the tomatillos until soft, about 8 minutes. Drain the tomatillos, discarding the cooking water, then transfer them to a blender, along with:

½ teaspoon granulated sugar
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 serrano chile, roughly chopped

Puree the ingredients until smooth. Season with salt, then transfer the tomatillo sauce to a large bowl. Add:

3 cups homemade or store-bought cooked or canned beans
3 Persian cucumbers, diced
1 cup lightly packed basil leaves, roughly chopped

Toss everything to coat with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and more sugar, if needed. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 day and up to 5 days to use in the Chipotle-Braised Chicken With Tomatillo Bean Salad.

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