On 10/29/2014 2:29 AM, isw wrote:
> Saw a guy using one at a local charity BBQ, and thought I'd like to have
> one. Had to make it, because I'm left-handed at cooking, and all the
> "store-bought" ones I've seen are for left-disabled folks.
>
> Once I had the thing, I found that it's useful for all sorts of cooking
> other than grilling steaks. I use it all the time in the kitchen when
> I'm frying anything. It's just the best way to turn things over I've
> ever found.
>
> You know how, if you're not really careful, when you use any sort of
> tongs or a spatula to turn over breaded pieces, you're likely to mess up
> the breading on the top (still raw) side? Doesn't happen if you hook the
> piece and flip it with the hook.
>
> You can hook a piece and lift it up to see how the bottom side is doing,
> without having something like a pancake turner getting in the way.
>
> Pieces close together? no problem. The hook doesn't need clearance to
> slide under an edge without damaging the piece next to it. Works very
> nicely for both shallow- and deep-frying.
>
> Dredging meat or fish? Use the hook and keep your fingers from growing
> into clubs and wasting a whole lot of the breading. You can pick a piece
> out of a bowl of batter, dredge it in (say) breadcrumbs, and then move
> it to the pan of hot fat, all with the hook. Since the hook gets a new
> coating of oil every time you do that, nothing sticks to it.
>
> Turning eggplant pieces while roasting them? Works great.
>
> Tempura? A whole lot easier (for me, anyhow) than chopsticks in hot fat.
>
> Bothered by annoying kibitzers while cooking? Oh yeah; just a twist of
> the wrist ...
>
> How come nobody ever told me about this nifty device before?
>

Is this what I've seen called a pig tail? I always wondered how well
those worked.