Samuel L. Jackson fans will want to pay attention to this one.
In a move inspired by arguably the most famous scene from Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece “Pulp Fiction,” two Marathon chefs brought their version of the “Big Kahuna Burger” to the mainland on Aug. 19 for Tampa’s VooDoo Chef Burger Bash – bringing home a championship belt in the process.
Masterminded by Marathon High’s Carl “Chef Flavor” Stanton and his former student turned business partner Chris Gaskill, the pair’s entry was based on a beef brisket patty with its fat cap removed, smoked and ground back into the meat. A southwestern-flavored VooDoo Chef red seasoning, slow-roasted pork belly kimchi slaw, a fried egg and the pair’s proprietary “Boss Sauce” rounded out the flavorful tower atop an avocado sesame nigella bun.
By the end of the two-day contest, the concoction bested 23 other competitors to claim the “Best Use of VooDoo” title.
“We had the grills going, and it was a lot of fun,” said Stanton. “The first day they had a progressive fundraising dinner where the chefs got together to put on a five-course dinner, and then the second day was a burger battle. We were busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest.”
“It was a great experience seeing chefs from all over Florida coming together to show off their burger skills,” said Gaskill, who, after graduating from MHS in 2017 with several of Stanton’s courses under his belt, attended the Culinary Institute of America before returning to Marathon. Together with Stanton, the two now operate the locally-owned Chef Flavor Catering. “It was some tough competition, but Chef and I worked well together through the heat and were able to execute our Big Kahuna Burger and bring home a belt.”
Chef Erik Youngs created the VooDoo Chef Foundation in 2017 to support students pursuing careers in food service and hospitality industries through educational programs, charity events and scholarships. Proceeds from the Burger Bash, including a raffle and silent auction, went to raising money for these scholarships.
