Patent ID: 7104577

Claim:
A method for extracting food from a barbecue skewer, for protecting persons from injuries from pointed end portions of barbecue skewers and for preventing contamination of barbecue skewers comprising the steps of: slidably mounting a protector/extractor on a shank of said barbecue skewer; selectively moving said protector/extractor toward a handle of said skewer to uncover a pointed end portion of said skewer; fixedly retaining said protector on handle in said fixed fore-and-aft positions of uncovering relationship with said pointed end portion of said skewer by the attraction of a permanent magnet in said handle and a ferromagnetic member at a fixed fore-and-aft position on said shank for loading food on said skewer; loading food on said pointed end portion of said skewer; selectively moving said protector/extractor toward said pointed end portion of said skewer to extract said food from said skewer; and retaining said protector/extractor in fixed fore-and-aft position of covering relationship with said pointed end portion of said skewer to prevent injuries and contamination of said skewer.