Quality food center is, so they like to think, an upscale Fred Meyer. Both now owned by Kroger. A while back (10 years ago at least) I watched a local news show where they had a segment where they had a guy at a seafood fest probably at Newport, OR, showing how to break down a Dungness crab very fast and with no tools of any kind. My husband pulled off his technique a few times. There was something he did with the claws that was simple but smart. We forgot how to do it because at some point we got sort of bored of crab. That boredom has passed. I’ll try to see if I can find it for you.
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Thanks @mts , @Rainycatcooks , and thanks all!
I too lose my interest/patience around late February, March.
I have no problem with anything but the body!
It’s a cadaver! It should be fairly predictable. Every dungeness crab has about the same anatomy; the same thorax with the same thin walled cavities, albeit one pattern on the inner part, and a different pattern closer to the legs.
I couldn’t find the picture I wanted, but something like this.
Or this
I’m thinking there’s got to be an ideal approach, perhaps related to being more intentional about separating the legs from the body, so I can get the lump meat out more efficiently.
The part a about 3:18 I AM being patient! 
Okay, I got through most of it.
I think just the right amount of pressure in the right place.
Some claws left. The most immediate gratification. 
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What I used to do . After picking up live crab from the fisherman from Santa Cruz harbor.
Get a large pot of water boiling as hot as you can make it .
Plunge the live crab into the water . Of course with a thank you blessing.
Cook for 16 minutes .
The trick I learned was to fill the sink with a five pound bag of ice . No water .
Immediately put the crab into the ice after cooking.let them sit for around 20minutes . Remove and put into the fridge for a half hour .
I have found that this pulls the meat away from the shell and when you crack it open you get that large piece of claw meat without it sticking to the shell
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I made some crab salad today using the Boulevard cookbook recipe, but it is amazing to me how much better the crabmeat tastes within minutes to hours after cooking, compared to days.
I usually make their crabcake recipe , but was out of energy after all the crab pickin’.
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Oh yes, the fresher the better. Day two usually goes to hot crab sandwiches, crab quiche or crab cakes. Day one is all about the cracking and eating with Best Foods and lemon, with a green salad and homemade garlic bread. Sigh.
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PO’ed crabbers!
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This one is for cooked crab
This one is for live crab
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I’m a hopin’!
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I went to Greenfish seafood on 8th in Oakland Chinatown today. They expected the rush, guy stationed outside pulling straight from delivery barrels. $6.99 for one, $5.99 for 3+, got five since they were small. Generally speaking, all the crabs have been on the small side. Friend was at Pillar Point near Half Moon Bay last week, off the boat…also smallish.
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The large crabs are going to restaurants, high end seafood markets.
Yes, I use to go to Sincere Seafood, formerly in Housewive’s market, because they’re a wholesaler, selling to restaurants. They recently moved (1117 Alice St.) but didn’t have their tanks in yet. Still, the report from Pillar Point off the boats…all were on the small side.
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The distributors want large crab, leaving the discount markets (maybe selling as a loss leader) and a few “off the boat sellers” …… supply and demand.
Many crabbers gear was buried during the storms.
Crab do not like shallow water during storms. I do not know how the storms affected their food supply.
Your Pillar Point sources have seen the box trucks and pickup trucks loading crab, vs the boats un loading at Morningstar.
I am replying from a suppliers viewpoint, you are reporting market prices.
Enjoy your crab!
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Get your crab fresh off the boat in SF fisherman’s wharf. One boat in front of Scoma’s.
A second boat across the water by Alioto’s.
$10/# at both places.
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