Making double-prong skewers
 

In article .com,
"Pete C." wrote:

Joseph Gwinn wrote:

I have been in the market for double-prong skewers for barbecuing meat.
Double-prong skewers look like a very large hairpin, with both prongs going
through the meat, thus preventing rotation, so when one turns the skewer
full of meat over, everything turns over.

I have a old and ratty set of such skewers, but need more, and perhaps
better.
[snip]
Probably get to use them this week. I'm wondering if 1/8" diameter is too
large. If it is, I'll use 3/32" diameter rod instead.

Joe Gwinn

The folks in the parts of the world where skewering stuff is the norm
use flat metal skewers, around 1/2" wide x 1/16" thick or so.

How big are the critters they are roasting?

I was thinking kabobs: cubes about 2" on a side, and a blade that big could be
hard to use.

Although it would certainly be easy to get SS flat strip in 0.5 by 0.0625" or
similar size.

Joe Gwinn

Making double-prong skewers
 

Joseph Gwinn wrote:

In article .com,
"Pete C." wrote:

Joseph Gwinn wrote:

I have been in the market for double-prong skewers for barbecuing meat.
Double-prong skewers look like a very large hairpin, with both prongs going
through the meat, thus preventing rotation, so when one turns the skewer
full of meat over, everything turns over.

I have a old and ratty set of such skewers, but need more, and perhaps
better.
[snip]
Probably get to use them this week. I'm wondering if 1/8" diameter is too
large. If it is, I'll use 3/32" diameter rod instead.

Joe Gwinn

The folks in the parts of the world where skewering stuff is the norm
use flat metal skewers, around 1/2" wide x 1/16" thick or so.

How big are the critters they are roasting?

I was thinking kabobs: cubes about 2" on a side, and a blade that big could be
hard to use.

That's exactly what I meant, middle-eastern through north-african type
area, kebabs, kofta and the like, all on flat metal skewers.


Although it would certainly be easy to get SS flat strip in 0.5 by 0.0625" or
similar size.

SS would work, most I've seen are just steel, oiled and seasoned like a
griddle.

Making double-prong skewers
 

"Pete C." wrote:

Joseph Gwinn wrote:

In article .com,
"Pete C." wrote:

Joseph Gwinn wrote:

I have been in the market for double-prong skewers for barbecuing meat.
Double-prong skewers look like a very large hairpin, with both prongs going
through the meat, thus preventing rotation, so when one turns the skewer
full of meat over, everything turns over.

I have a old and ratty set of such skewers, but need more, and perhaps
better.
[snip]
Probably get to use them this week. I'm wondering if 1/8" diameter is too
large. If it is, I'll use 3/32" diameter rod instead.

Joe Gwinn

The folks in the parts of the world where skewering stuff is the norm
use flat metal skewers, around 1/2" wide x 1/16" thick or so.

How big are the critters they are roasting?

I was thinking kabobs: cubes about 2" on a side, and a blade that big could be
hard to use.

That's exactly what I meant, middle-eastern through north-african type
area, kebabs, kofta and the like, all on flat metal skewers.


Although it would certainly be easy to get SS flat strip in 0.5 by 0.0625" or
similar size.

SS would work, most I've seen are just steel, oiled and seasoned like a
griddle.

Here you go: http://kalamala.com/barg-skewers-p-1080.html

and: http://kalamala.com/koubideh-skewers-p-1079.html

Making double-prong skewers
 

agree - think "sword" - that's what these things were originally - the
commercial kitchens use steel, about 1/8 thick, about 1.5 inches wide for
grill cooking






"Joseph Gwinn" wrote in message
...
In article .com,
"Pete C." wrote:

Joseph Gwinn wrote:

I have been in the market for double-prong skewers for barbecuing meat.
Double-prong skewers look like a very large hairpin, with both prongs
going
through the meat, thus preventing rotation, so when one turns the
skewer
full of meat over, everything turns over.

I have a old and ratty set of such skewers, but need more, and perhaps
better.
[snip]
Probably get to use them this week. I'm wondering if 1/8" diameter is
too
large. If it is, I'll use 3/32" diameter rod instead.

Joe Gwinn

The folks in the parts of the world where skewering stuff is the norm
use flat metal skewers, around 1/2" wide x 1/16" thick or so.

How big are the critters they are roasting?

I was thinking kabobs: cubes about 2" on a side, and a blade that big
could be
hard to use.

Although it would certainly be easy to get SS flat strip in 0.5 by 0.0625"
or
similar size.

Joe Gwinn

Making double-prong skewers
 

In article . com,
"Pete C." wrote:

Joseph Gwinn wrote:

In article .com,
"Pete C." wrote:

Joseph Gwinn wrote:

I have been in the market for double-prong skewers for barbecuing meat.
Double-prong skewers look like a very large hairpin, with both prongs
going
through the meat, thus preventing rotation, so when one turns the
skewer
full of meat over, everything turns over.

I have a old and ratty set of such skewers, but need more, and perhaps
better.
[snip]
Probably get to use them this week. I'm wondering if 1/8" diameter is
too
large. If it is, I'll use 3/32" diameter rod instead.

Joe Gwinn

The folks in the parts of the world where skewering stuff is the norm
use flat metal skewers, around 1/2" wide x 1/16" thick or so.

How big are the critters they are roasting?

I was thinking kabobs: cubes about 2" on a side, and a blade that big could
be hard to use.

That's exactly what I meant, middle-eastern through north-african type
area, kebabs, kofta and the like, all on flat metal skewers.

Well, a bit of 1/4" or 3/8" wide strip would work better for what I cook.

There is a tandoori oven in the Indian Restaurant my wife and I often go to.
They put the meat on what appear to be 6' long ~swords made of plain steel. The
handle sticks out of the oven, and remains cool. I'll have to look at the
blades. I think they are thicker than 1/16" and narrower than 1/2".


Although it would certainly be easy to get SS flat strip in 0.5 by 0.0625"
or similar size.

SS would work, most I've seen are just steel, oiled and seasoned like a
griddle.

I did think of that, as I have used cast-iron skillets forever. But I don't use
these skewers enough to not need to wash them, so they have to survive the
dishwasher. Thus, stainless steel.

Cast iron skillets are cleaned by heating them up until the grease starts to
smoke, dropping some water into them, and scraping with a steel spatula, rinse
and wipe dry. I learned this from the short-order cook in a McDonalds where I
worked as a teenager.

The grill I keep clean by running it very hot, usually 500 F, so the grease
simply burns off. What doesn't is removed with a stainless-steel scouring pad
held in long tongs and used on the hot grill bars, usually wit the flame still
on High.

MSC sells lots of spring-stock steel strips that would work just fine as
skewers, if rusting is no problem.

Joe Gwinn

Making double-prong skewers
 

In article . com,
"Pete C." wrote:

"Pete C." wrote:

Joseph Gwinn wrote:

In article .com,
"Pete C." wrote:

Joseph Gwinn wrote:

I have been in the market for double-prong skewers for barbecuing
meat.
Double-prong skewers look like a very large hairpin, with both prongs
going
through the meat, thus preventing rotation, so when one turns the
skewer
full of meat over, everything turns over.

I have a old and ratty set of such skewers, but need more, and
perhaps
better.
[snip]
Probably get to use them this week. I'm wondering if 1/8" diameter
is too
large. If it is, I'll use 3/32" diameter rod instead.

Joe Gwinn

The folks in the parts of the world where skewering stuff is the norm
use flat metal skewers, around 1/2" wide x 1/16" thick or so.

How big are the critters they are roasting?

I was thinking kabobs: cubes about 2" on a side, and a blade that big
could be
hard to use.

That's exactly what I meant, middle-eastern through north-african type
area, kebabs, kofta and the like, all on flat metal skewers.


Although it would certainly be easy to get SS flat strip in 0.5 by
0.0625" or
similar size.

SS would work, most I've seen are just steel, oiled and seasoned like a
griddle.

Here you go: http://kalamala.com/barg-skewers-p-1080.html

and: http://kalamala.com/koubideh-skewers-p-1079.html

These are interesting, but the nice Rosewood handles would catch fire inside the
Weber grill, with the cover closed. Most skewers are designed on the assumption
that the handles won't be in the fire, which is not the case here.

I did google for tandori skewers, and found some:

http://www.amazon.com/Set-Commercial-Tandoori-Skewers-Square/dp/B003LS9ZD6

It's 44" long and is made of 5/16" square Type 304 stainless steel.

Elsewhere, I see home tandori skewers, 20" long by 3/16" square Type 304 SS.

Which led me to this site:

http://superskewer.com/index.php#super_skewer_commercial

They like 1/8" round rod.

Their 3/8" wide by 12 gauge strips are 0.105" thick. Also Type 304 (18/8) SS.

Joe Gwinn

Making double-prong skewers
 

The flat skewers are usually aluminum. Why not use heavy Al wire for
your skewer.
Karl

Joseph Gwinn wrote:
In article .com,
"Pete C." wrote:

Joseph Gwinn wrote:

I have been in the market for double-prong skewers for barbecuing meat.
Double-prong skewers look like a very large hairpin, with both prongs going
through the meat, thus preventing rotation, so when one turns the skewer
full of meat over, everything turns over.

I have a old and ratty set of such skewers, but need more, and perhaps
better.
[snip]
Probably get to use them this week. I'm wondering if 1/8" diameter is too
large. If it is, I'll use 3/32" diameter rod instead.

Joe Gwinn

The folks in the parts of the world where skewering stuff is the norm
use flat metal skewers, around 1/2" wide x 1/16" thick or so.

How big are the critters they are roasting?

I was thinking kabobs: cubes about 2" on a side, and a blade that big could be
hard to use.

Although it would certainly be easy to get SS flat strip in 0.5 by 0.0625" or
similar size.

Joe Gwinn