Before cracking, place the claw on a cutting board or other hard surface. Then place a plastic bag over the claw (this will keep from splattering crab juice). Take a mallet or hammer and lightly crack the claw in spots 1, 2 and slightly harder in spot 3. Next, peel the shells from the claw and then separate the two knuckles from the main pincher. Please note that there is a hard center membrane inside the meat, so when biting into the meat be careful (treat the claw as if you were eating an artichoke, pulling the meat off the center). Now you are ready to enjoy Joe's Stone Crabs.
To enhance the sweet flavor, squeeze lemon or lime juice over the meat, dip into melted butter or use Joe's original recipe mustard sauce. Just remember to crack only as many as you can eat at one time. Once cracked the claws will not hold well for a long period of time.