There are many things of which the male of the human species is rather protective of, there is his loving wife, his children and his home. But how could one possibly forget his famed BBQ tongs.

This item is not only treasured, but it is guarded with the greatest of care. A man’s tongs are always easily accessible so that they can be quickly drawn out once the BBQ has been fired up and is ready to accept food onto its sizzling grills.

The tongs are whipped out from the kitchen drawer, the very same way as a lightning quick gunslinger whips out his trusty Colt from his side holster.

And of course, once the flames have finally died down, the tongs are always carefully washed and dried so that not a spec of rust develops on this precious utensil and very versatile tool. This single item is one that every man will hand wash, not allowing anyone else the honour of handling.

Where would the modern day man be without his beloved tongs? How could he possibly turn the mystery bags over without pricking their tight skins? Or how could he turn the steak so that it cooks slowly and evenly and thoroughly?

Just the thought of having to use a fork while cooking a BBQ is enough to send the average Aussie bloke running for the hills. What would an Aussie BBQ be without the faithful instrument close to the outdoor barbie? The answer would be that it would be some hack cooking dead animal on a hot plate without a caring for what they are really doing.

In the hands of a true tong master, the snags, steaks and even the chicken wings and chicken fillets are turned over with precision and care; the snags are gently rolled over onto their uncooked sides and rested against one another. They are laid down side by side, as lovers sometimes sleep, spooned and wrapped in loving arms.

The tong master only requires a single hand to ensure that all the food on the BBQ is cooked to perfection, while with his free hand he gently cradles a beer. Sometimes the beer is in a can, and then there are other times it’s in a bottle. There are times when the tong master uses a stubbie holder and then there are occasions where he needs to feel the coldness and perspiration of can or bottle itself.

Even while he continues to quietly sip his beer, his eyes never waver far from the BBQ; he turns and manipulates the food on the hotplate so that it cooks slowly and thoroughly. He watches as the slab of dad  cow goes from blood red throughout, to a slight gray colour on the outside, leaving a thin strip of pink in the middle.

The tong master keeps a watchful eye on every morsel of food on the plate; the very same way a sheepdog mindfully watches his herd. He ensures that no one encroaches onto his territory and takes over his task and possibly ruin his masterpiece. And what a masterpiece it always turns out to be, not a single burnt snag, not an overdone piece of steak, not a single burnt offering to be placed onto the table for the hungry horde that waits.

But as the world has changed over the years, so has the humble BBQ, the tong master not only has to deal with snags, steaks, chops and chicken filets, but the yuppies of this new generation have thrown a spanner in the works, they now insist that the tong master needs to cook kebabs, fish and other new wave food on the beloved BBQ, where will all this madness end.

But as a true master of the tongs and the BBQ, the tong master rises to every challenge thrown before him, and he will continue to do so until his tongs are retired or handed down to the next generation.