Chef Gordon Ramsay Loves Late-Night Baked Beans, Is Allergic to the Word ‘Paleo’

For a man of many opinions, chef Gordon Ramsay remains an enigma in many ways. In between hosting dinner at Vegas Uncork’d and welcoming diners to his restaurant at Caesars Palace, Ramsay took a few minutes to answer a quick Q&A with Bon Appétit. We asked the toughest (and most important) questions: What’s his favorite swear word to use in the kitchen? How does he feel about kale salad? Read on to find out.

How do you feel about kale salad?
I didn’t like them for the first six months, but then my wife made my kids—Holly, Megan, Matilda, and Jack—eat them, so I was the only one sitting out the dinner table. Now I’ve switched to kale chips instead of chocolate.

Take the New York Strip, for example. First of all, you have to take the meat out of the fridge about 15-20 minutes before cooking. Let it come to room temperature, then carefully take your pulse [on your wrist]. Feel it to the touch – the texture is exactly what rare should feel like. Heat the pan and don’t add any oil until it’s smoking. Season the meat, rub it with oil and put it in the pan. Don’t add any oil to the pan; just the marinated meat. Cook for two and a half minutes on each side, take it out and let it cool. And don’t cut into it until it starts to cool.

My 13-year-old daughter, Matilda. Last week was her first time on the CBBC series and she cried because she didn’t think the burger looked as good as she expected. And I said, “That’s completely ridiculous because it tastes amazing.” It’s a burger; they’re not supposed to look attractive. That brought me to tears; she was so concerned about the burger and the decorations. It was a veggie burger; a big flat cap mushroom sandwich stuffed with cheese, and the camera got it the wrong way, and she was mortified. For anyone who appreciates food like that at 13… I was so proud of her at dinner, my table was full of 20 dishes, so I felt like a goose. Thankful for that, but sometimes I just want to sit in the corner of a restaurant and eat two tasting courses, that’s rude. If I eat it, they want feedback. I want to go out to the restaurant and not give feedback, keep quiet and enjoy.