Tip of the Week: Piggy*

For my tip this week, I decided to share my favorite all-around cooking tool.  I call him “Piggy,” and he’s one of the most useful kitchen tools I have ever owned.  When I first found Piggy, he had been abandoned in a 25 cent bin at a flea market in Wisconsin, where I was visiting my sister.  I didn’t know what it was, but it looked so interesting that I grabbed it.  Here’s what Piggy looks like:

Let me tell you some of the things Piggy does.  Do you see that very sharp curved tip?  It grabs things and holds on, allowing you to easily flip meat over on a grill, turn chicken in a skillet, move food pieces in and out of egg wash into breading without getting your fork or fingers gummy, and on and on.  You can use it for lifting corn on the cob out of boiling water, snagging a whole roast and holding it in the air while you salt and pepper all sides before placing it in the roaster, flipping bacon over, turning a whole rack of ribs on the grill.  It’s made from surgical stainless steel and lasts forever.  This past Christmas I ordered one for almost everyone on my Christmas list (several of whom had been coveting mine for years).  The real name is “Pigtail Food Flipper” and you can easily order it online.  My only regret is that I didn’t find my own beloved Piggy years ago! (PS—remember Piggy is VERY sharp and pointy and needs to be stored carefully out of the reach of children and not left lying around.  I always wash and place Piggy lovingly in the drawer as soon as I finish with him, pointy end to the back of the drawer.)

*Originally distributed May 2014