Some of the best wine pairings don’t happen in fine dining restaurants.

Sometimes they happen around a campfire.

Recently, the family packed up the truck (including 2 kids), and headed out on our very first camping trip together to Stillwater Cove Regional Park in Jenner, CA.

Like any first adventure, there was a little uncertainty. Would the kids sleep? Would the fire cooperate? Could I actually cook a tomahawk steak over an open flame without ruining dinner?

Spoiler alert—it all worked out, minus the kids sleeping, but good thing it was just 1 night.

We all hear about steak pairing well with a bold red. Well, that was especially true with this bold 2018 Cain Vineyard & Winery Syrah.

Side note: This was my first attempt at open-fire cooking, and there was something incredibly satisfying about keeping it simple. Just chopped wood from home, fire, patience, and a beautifully marbled Costco tomahawk steak. No fancy equipment. No gas grill. Just learning as I went.

I kept the steak seasoning incredibly simple:
1) Kosher salt
2) Freshly cracked Black Pepper
3) Love.

On side the of the steak was mushrooms & zucchinis marinated in garlic salt, pepper, and olive oil. Simple, delish, healthy. It pretty much evened out the steak in my humble opinion.

We also roasted potatoes the night before and reheated them on the open fire. The smell of rosemary and fire paired perfectly with nature.

Before starting the fire, I opened the Syrah I had been saving for the right occasion. This was the call.

This bad boy needed some time to let the tannins soften so you could taste the fruit. Its bold aromas of blackberry, black pepper, and smoked meat seemed almost made for the moment.

Once the fire was ready, I seared the sides of tomahawk in the heated cast iron skillet.

Once finished, I placed the steak directly on the grill grates, over the open flames, to help build that crust a little more. This also helped impart the oak and pine aromas into the steak.

Next step, we added the zucchinis and mushrooms in a veggie basket above the open flame. We decided last minute to add some Franks baked beans in a pot.

Once the steak looked like it was close to finishing, we added the roasted potatoes to cook in the beef tallow and re-develop that crispy skin.

This is when we learned we needed more experience cooking on open flame.

When we finished, the steak was slightly undercooked, but the crust was perfect. Part of this was it was frozen until the night before. However, that didn’t stop us.

Simple solution, cut it steak into thin slices and flash sear in the cast iron. Not sexy, but it did the trick and didn’t lose the flavor.

When dinner was finally ready, the pairing couldn’t have been better.

The richness of the tomahawk balanced perfectly with the Syrah’s firm tannins, while the wine’s peppery spice echoed the smoky flavors from the fire. Every bite seemed to make the next sip even better, and every sip made me appreciate the steak just a little more.

For a first camping trip and a first attempt at open-fire cooking, I’d call it a success.

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Wine Pairing

Pairing: Tomahawk Steak + Syrah

Why it works:

• The bold tannins stand up to the rich marbling of the steak.
• Pepper, blackberry, and smoky notes complement the flavors developed over the fire.
• The wine refreshes the palate between each rich, savory bite.

Pairing Rating: ★★★★★