Dry Jack is a stimulating big flavored cheese that? an authentic American Original. It? made by aging Monterey Jack cheese at least 9 months all the way up to several years. The surface of the cheese is rubbed with a mixture of black pepper dust, cocoa powder and oil making an almost black coating. When you cut into it, you?l find the light golden paste that tastes of butteriness, sharpness, fruitiness, and nuttiness. It is striking in your mouth as well as striking on the table.
The story is that Dry Jack was made by accident when a merchant bought too much Jack Cheese and salted it to see if it could be salvaged by keeping it and aging it. This mistake was timely as World War I had stopped the shipments of Parmesan and he now had a cheese that was unique but similar. Shards of Dry Jack was now being snapped up by Italian immigrants hungry for the flavors they loved.
Dry Jack? intense flavor and hint of spices from the coating work well paired with Nipozzano Chianti R?na Riserva DOCG. The cheese brings out the range of dark plumy fruit and spiciness of cinnamon and clove from this Chianti. The wine brings out the intense flavor profiles of the cheese. When you do The Cheese Highway?this cheese lasts for sip after sip of the wine and each delightful gulp will uncover an additional layer of tastes.
My veterinarian gave me a wheel of the Rumiano Family? Dry Jack so I had a lot of their cheese to experiment with. It makes a killer grilled cheese sandwich and I do adore a glass of wine with my grilled cheeseۯn? you! The Rumiano? have been crafting cheese in California for over 80 years and also make flavored Dry Jacks like one laced with Peppercorns. This cheese would be fantastic as a table cheese to begin your evening. Then grate some of the Peppercorn Dry Jack over pasta with olive oil and roasted garlic for a simple but mighty fine meal. Enjoy and cheers!