The Must-Have Food Gordon Ramsay Always Grabs In Miami

Gordon Ramsay is known for being selective but adventurous in what food he tastes, no matter what region he happens to be in. He'll partake in fancy French food, taste traditional sushi, and isn't afraid of unusual ingredients used by small town locals. That being said, he definitely has some favorite dishes, and that includes when he's visiting Florida to work with his Hell's Kitchen Miami location. Although there's plenty of iconic Florida food to try, whenever he's there it seems the celebrity chef has a craving for Cuban-inspired cuisine.

In particular, Gordon has said that his go-to Miami meal is a Cubano sandwich with a pairing of Cuban coffee. The region is known for this specific dish, but he's particularly fond of the Cuban restaurant Versailles, which serves a wide array of sandwiches, including one of the absolute best Cubanos in America. On his Instagram, he's shared photos of him and his son dining on Cubanos, saying that he went straight to the restaurant as soon as he got off the plane in Miami.

To make this Gordon Ramsay favorite, the basic sandwich only needs a few ingredients. Gather marinated roasted pork, sliced bolo ham, Swiss cheese, yellow mustard, sliced pickles, and a long loaf of Cuban bread. Add mustard to the halved loaf, then layer the other ingredients inside. Press the sandwich to heat it until the cheese is a little melted and the outside has a nice, toasty crisp to it. This is the way Versailles does its Cuban Sandwich, and it certainly must be doing something right to get Ramsay's seal of approval.

Although a Cubano is actually not originally from Cuba, it is inspired by Cuban flavors and was made by Cuban immigrants in Florida. Gordon Ramsay seems happy to enjoy it anyway, and he's always been a fan of Cuban fare. For those who aren't familiar with Cuban cuisine, it blends African, Spanish, and Caribbean flavors with strong spice blends that rely on garlic and cumin, while meats are often slow-cooked. Fresh fruits appear even in savory foods, and rice is a typical side dish. The big focus is bold flavors with sharp contrasts, which is part of what makes Cubano sandwiches work so well.

Although he speaks highly of Cuban food in Miami, Gordon Ramsay has also tried to bring attention to traditional Cuban cooking. In his show, "Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted" the famed chef visited Havana to learn more about local food. In the show, he expresses that he's a big fan of Cuban cuisine.

Gordon even went out of his way to make his own version of a Cubano sandwich while visiting Havana. He did this with roasted peppers and onions, regional honey, and banana leaf-wrapped pork. While the sandwich was made with precision, it's been met with criticism on the Internet for being too fancy a version of the Cuban classic. This is nothing new for Ramsay, as the Internet has gotten upset with him over his grilled cheese sandwiches in the past. Even though he might make his Cubano differently, he still goes out of his way to grab a more traditional Cuban sandwich whenever he's in Miami.