Preparation, uses, and tips
This rich table cheese is used for salads and grating, and considered a fine complement to
Mexican and Southwestern cuisine; it also makes a fine snack cheese. Dry Jack cheese can be
grated in feather-light wafers and served on pasta; for an hors d’oeuvre, toss finely
grated Jack with warm toasted almonds.
Buying and storing tips
Although promoted as a grating cheese, Dry Jack is also an excellent table cheese. Seek out
an opportunity to taste it. Like genuine Italian Parmesans, it can be eaten in paper-thin
curls shaved from the wedge onto pasta, salads, and soups. Dry Jack should be stored in the
refrigerator, tightly sealed in plastic wrap.
Varieties
Dry Jack is aged at least six months and often longer. A Mexican version of this cheese is
harder and has more bite. A number of outstanding varieties of Dry Jack are now made in
California by artisan producers.
Nutrition Highlights
Dry Monterey Jack cheese, 1 oz. (28g)
Calories: 106
Protein: 6.9g
Carbohydrate: 0.2g
Total Fat: 8.6g
Fiber: 0.0g
*Excellent source of: Calcium (212mg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular
nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good
source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily
Value.