“Mmm-mmmm. That is a tasty burger.”
It’s The Burger Bite Heard Around The Cinematic World!
When Samuel L. Jackson asks if he can try the “Big Kahuna Burger”, bites into it and then casually offers his opinion of it, a legend was born!
Here is that wildly entertaining moment from Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 Oscar-nominated film “Pulp Fiction”:
More on the film, including the incredible remastered blu-ray stuffed with great extras, to share with you in a moment but first, as Samuel L. said:
“Big Kahuna Burger. That’s that Hawaiian burger joint. I hear they got some tasty burgers. I ain’t never had one myself. How are they?”
Well, only one way to find out – let’s make one!
The “Big Kahuna Burger” Recipe!
As a fan of burgers, and Quentin, I went online and searched out the recipe – and there are many to choose from, but this seemed to capture the essence of what a great burger from a “Hawaiian Burger Joint” would look like.
Here are the ingredients and recipe to make 4 burgers, or two mega burgers:
1 pound ground beef or bison
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
4 pineapple rings (canned or fresh)
4 pieces bacon, cooked until crisp
4 slices monterey jack cheese
As is usual, making the burger itself is fairly straightforward: as you can see from the picture above, you just mix the ground meat with the teriyaki sauce and grill seasoning in a medium bowl. Divide into four quarter-pound patties.
Here is a shot of teriyaki sauce being poured over the hamburger in case you need that sort of thing…
Grill pineapple slices for approx 1 minute on each side on your grill of choice. There were no pineapple rings available, but I took the spears and “slimmed” them down to the size of a ring, and gave them about 3 minutes on each side:
Next up, just form and cook your burgers until you get your desired doneness on a grill of choice – I always go medium rare. Place a piece of bacon on each and then top with a piece of jack cheese to hold the bacon in place.
Here is that entire process in pictures – beginning with putting my patties on the grill and flipping after about 4 minutes:
While the burgers are cooking, toast your bun and slather on some Spicy Cilantro Mayo like so:
Spicy Cilantro Mayo – made this way:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Sriracha or chili sauce
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
Now, pull the burgers off the grill, lay on the bun, top with the pineapple, add your top and here is what you get!
Behold My Big Kahuna Burger!
Well, I’m pleased with the aesthetic – it stacked nicely and offered me a few chances to capture in all of its majesty before biting into it!
As you can see, the “double patty double bacon and double cheese” strategy makes for a big mouthful, but I think it’s necessary, because the grilled pineapple has a ton of flavor! It’s sweetness is nicely counter-balanced by the Sriracha sauce, leaving me with a very satisfying taste!
The “Big Kahuna” is delicious, and while I won’t dig into one all that often (full disclosure: I am NOT a pineapple fan) but it works well as a tasty change of pace! One note: here is that Samuel L. Jackson shot from the film:
Note that bit of lettuce sticking out? I didn’t have that included in the recipe I found, which just means “The Big Kahuna Burger” can go on in many unique and tasty directions.
I found my recipe at “Food Republic” – thanks to that group and please go visit them here:
Now, speaking of going off in unique directions, time to watch the entire “Pulp Fiction” – the Best Screenplay Oscar-winning film noir that is explosively entertaining:
I was lucky to see this film at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival, a full 5 months before it was released, and became a pop culture phenomenon. My wife Alex and I also interviewed the entire cast – we were blown away by this movie!
The unique structure of the film, as well as the mind-bending screenplay, announced Tarantino as THE filmmaker of his generation. And let’s not forget the outstanding cast, from Jackson, Travolta and Thurman to Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Maria de Medeiros, Eric Stolz, Harvey Keitel, Christopher Walken and Rosanna Arquette!
This terrific special edition blu-ray includes Tarantino’s Palme d’Or award winning acceptance speech in Cannes, plus documentaries, deleted scenes and more – the film is a masterpiece, a collection of inter-related stories told in a style that sends the viewer back-and-forth thru time – with the Big Kahuna Burger making a few appearances!
Of course, we see Uma Thurman dig into a Big Kahuna Burger in the movie sequence that involves Travolta babysitting his boss’s wife – Thurman. So they go get a Big Kahuna Burger and end up on the dance floor – yes, this iconic moment happens right after she digs into a Big Kahuna burger!
This film heralded Travolta’s long-overdue movie comeback, and when we interviewed him he was charming, polite and articulate – and the film is always worth a re-watch and deep dive, because it is so significant in the history of cinema…and has a delicious burger as well!
If you want something more refined, you can always make this “dinner and a movie” combination as well – a great movie paired with a classic Boeuf Bourguignon!
Yes, make this classic french dish and then watch Meryl Streep’s “note perfect” take on Julia Child – see that recipe here:
Let me know if you are going to make your own “Big Kahuna!”
Categories: 70's Music, Academy Awards, Action Films, Art, Awards, BACON, cookbooks, Cult Movies, Film Fight Club, Food, food blog, Food Review, Great Films, Hamburgers, Hollywood, Movies, Pop Culture, Recipes, Talent/Celebrities, Uncategorized, Wacky Food
johnrieber 
This recipe looks incredible. Thank you for sharing, I can’t wait to try it.
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Those are pictures of when I made it, and not being a pineapple fan, I was happily surprised at how delicious it was!
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Awesome!! I just watched “from duck til dawn” and realized George Clooney brought Kahuna Burgers back to the hotel for him and Tarantino. I read that Kahuna Burgers are props in many Tarantino/Rodriguez moves.
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Now I have to find that scene to see them! Thanks for the tip!
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Your posts never fail to disappoint me, John…A great post as always and for me a rare burger eater I think pineapple is a great addition…It looks very tasty 🙂
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John, that burger looks amazing! I bet you had fun!!
Have you ever seen Binging with Babish? He does a similar thing, recreating food from movies. I think you’d like it… https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJHA_jMfCvEnv-3kRjTCQXw
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I hadn’t seen this, thanks for sharing!
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A great movie and a fantastic burger
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Yes, this was a fun exercise, especially since for my previous “dinner and a movie” I really did make Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon which took HOURS!
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That is one huge meaty burger!
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More the camera angle, but yes, it stacks up well – I like doing the “dinner and a movie” challenges when they are more difficult, this was just a fun one to try! Thanks for commenting!
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Well done with replicating that burger, John. It looks delicious indeed, but perhaps a little rare for my taste. And I might have used a lot less mayo. That said, I will be popping round later, so you can make me one!
Pulp Fiction holds a personal distinction for me. It is the only time in my life that I ever applauded at the end of a film, and in a British cinema too, where that is unheard of!
Although I prefer ‘Jackie Brown’ over all other Tarantino films, the way he wove the characters together in ‘Pulp Fiction’ was outstanding. I will never forget that ending.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, I love mayo, cannot lie! As for “Pulp Fiction”, I saw it with my wife at the Cannes Film Festival 5 months before it was released, and interviewed Tarantino, Bruce Willis, Uma, Travolta and Samuel L – yes, it was a magical day and I knew I had seen a masterpiece
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