Review: Kassa Meat Claws, Meat Shredder, Handler Forks

By Dru Chai

Ok, true story here. Before I started BBQ smoking as a backyard hobby, I would use my bare hands to shred pulled pork. Needless to say, my fingers would take some serious punishment and I would yell "ouch" or "oww" or "ohh" every other second. Yes, I was simply impatient (not to mention hungry!).

Nowadays, to give my fingers a break, I'll use a couple of forks. But even with forks, it's just too small to do the job, especially if you have a lot of meat to shred. Enter Kassa Meat Claws.

I recently had the chance to use these sharp meat claws on some bone-in pork shoulder, and it just took a few minutes to shred the pork into nicely sized chunks. I especially liked the grips -- I really felt like a giant bear tearing through some flesh for dinner.

Aside from shredding meat, there are also a couple of other uses. Flipping over meat in the oven, putting meat on the grill, or even holding meat while slicing. Whatever the use, just make sure you get a good grip. You wouldn't want the meat to take a tumble on the floor -- that would be a shame, for sure.

Dirty Smoke rating - 4.0 of 5 stars
Pros - Good grip, sturdy, easy to clean
Cons - Not meant to finely shred meat
Recommended - check them out on Amazon.com

Review: The Amazing Heat Resistant Silicone Grill Gloves

"Don't burn yourself!"

How many times have you heard that from your spouse or loved one? I've heard it plenty of times -- whether it's volunteering at the local soup kitchen, grilling outside the patio, or handling hot baked potatoes in the kitchen. I'm always on the lookout for a good set of gloves, and I recently had the opportunity to review The Amazing Heat Resistant Silicone Cooking and Grill Gloves.

The first thing I noticed are the hundreds of tiny heart-shaped (I HEART BBQ!) textured grips all over the gloves. They fit a little snug around the fingers, and I liked how there's some flexibility -- whether it's grabbing a hot tray from the oven, and handling the outside of your BBQ grill or smoker.

These are definitely an upgrade from the standard, cloth-based oven mitts. I like how these gloves are made from silicone, so they are easy to clean and dishwasher safe. You won't believe how many old oven mitts I've had to toss away because they were worn out and infested with mold.

I've used the glove several times, mostly for handling my Weber Smoky Mountain charcoal smoker. Whether it's opening the lid to take a peek at my ribs or brisket, or opening and closing the vents, the gloves did its job protecting me from the extreme heat. The Amazing Heat Resistant Cooking and Grill Gloves is a solid addition to any home cook or backyard griller.

Dirty Smoke rating - 4.0 of 5 stars
Pros - Maximum grip, easy to clean
Cons - Tight fit for dudes with really big hands
Recommended - check them out on Amazon.com