Gordon Ramsay's Must-Have Food When Visiting Miami

Miami has no shortage of Caribbean culture, so it comes as no surprise that when Gordon Ramsay pays a visit, he heads straight for the Cuban food. But not just anything will do, and a chef like Ramsay always opts for a cubano, one of the single greatest sandwiches this side of the Atlantic (via Instagram).

The glory of the cubano can be found just about anywhere, whether as a Tampa staple or even as far north as Canada. But Miami has some of the best and most varied you can find anywhere, thanks to its proximity to the island nation. Ramsay prefers his from the most famous spot in Florida to grab a Cuban sandwich, Versailles, a Miami staple since 1971. Despite its curiously French name, it's one of the biggest gathering spots of Cuban gastronomy in America, even baking its own bread to guarantee the most traditional, best-tasting sandwich possible.

Still, if Cubans (and Ramsay) love one thing, it's their coffee. No trip to Versailles or Miami is complete for the British chef without a specialty drink: a cafecito. Essentially a powerhouse espresso sweetened with a bit of sugary foam, it's sure to counteract any food coma he could incur while dining. Even if you don't go in for pork, do yourself a favor and still stop by Versailles for an energy bump. It's as worth a visit as any meal there.

Like many popular recipes, cubanos are hardly monolithic. They've got tons of variety depending on where you order them and even have some relation to similar sandwiches like the medianoche, pan con lechon, and even galleta preparada, essentially an unmelted cubano made with crackers. But when Gordon Ramsay visited Havana for his show "Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted," he applied his own skills and tastes to make something all his own.

Traditional Cuban sandwiches usually rely on pork shoulder for protein. Not only is it a tender, inexpensive cut, but you can also marinate or slow-cook it to ramp up the flavor. Ramsay, however, chose to use lechon, a whole suckling pig popular in many Spanish-colonized regions. He prefers to fry his up in a pan, adding texture and concentrating the taste of the juices, then toasting his bread in the same pan to soak up any residual goodness. Add in some cheese melted directly against the pan, and while not quite what you'd find at Versailles, Ramsay's cubano is still sensational.

Where he goes a bit against the grain is by including a few different vegetables. He caramelizes some peppers and onions as a unique topping, something you won't find at most restaurants. Tossed with lime, they may create a flavor similar to mojo pork, a shoulder slow-cooked or roasted with tons of citrus and onion, which is a common find in Miami and Cuba alike.