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- The great outdoors, awaken our senses,
inspire our spirit,
and remind us of the wonders
that lie just beyond our doorstep.
This is where our favorite adventures begin.
The outdoors are a place to play, a place to learn,
a place to rest.
The woods and waters invite us
to rediscover the simplicity of life
and remind us of our connection to nature.
They urge us to slow down
and spend time with the people most important to us.
Amid the hustle and bustle of life,
these moments become the pause button
that allows us to cherish the company of those
who know us best.
A meal is often the conduit for such moments,
especially when it's cooked and served around a campfire.
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There are a few things as satisfying
as cooking up a good meal over an open fire,
but here's an important point,
unless you're roasting hot dogs or marshmallows,
you don't really want to cook over the fire,
you wanna cook over the coals.
So the first step is getting a good bed of coals.
The more you have to cook, the more coals you need.
To be safe, start the fire at least 30 minutes
before you plan to start cooking.
Make sure you have a good area to hold the coals.
I like to build a narrow trough off to the side of the fire
to hold the coals that support any pots and pans.
This keeps the food away from direct flame,
but lets you keep the fire going
and making more coals if you need them.
When you have a good pile of coals,
drag them into the cooking area.
Make an even layer a little larger in diameter than the pan.
Place the pan on the rocks or a grill.
Cast iron is the best material for cooking over coals
because it distributes heat.
It doesn't dent easily, and it's easy to clean.
This method works for cooking anything
because you can control the amount of heat
by adding or subtracting coals.
One of my favorite things to cook outdoors
over a fire is venison, in this case, backstrap.
It's a simple recipe
that calls for only a handful of ingredients,
butter, onions, the backstrap of course,
and some seasonings.
Start by melting butter in the pan,
add the onions and cook until they start to soften.
Maybe about five minutes.
See, the nice thing is when you cook like this,
if you need more fire, you just bring it around here.
You can put it in there right where you need it.
Slice the backstrap and place it in the pan.
Season it with salt, pepper, and some garlic.
Cook it till it's medium rare.
They will not take long to cook at all.
That means a minute to maybe a minute and a half
on each side.
Salt, of course, some pepper, and then a little garlic.
That's really all you need for backstrap.
Serve the backstrap with the onions.
If you want a side, beans and bread are two good ones.
Keep it simple and cooking dinner over a fire
will always be a rewarding and delicious experience.
When the meal is done,
throw more wood on the fire and enjoy a drink.
But keep things simple here too.
Think two ingredients, bourbon and cola,
bourbon and water, even just bourbon and ice.
- [Narrator] But always pick a quality bourbon
like Yellowstone Select.
Seven generations of distilling knowledge
goes into every bottle.
It's the pinnacle of a rich heritage
of making great whiskey.
Partnering with the National Parks Conservation Association
to help support the protection and preservation
of our national parks,
Yellowstone is giving back to a system
that's given us all so much.
Yellowstone Select certainly makes a good cocktail,
but out here in the outdoors,
there's no need to mix it with much of anything
except good company.
- [Narrator 2] Yellowstone Select
completes the perfect pairing with any campfire dish,
and it adds to the enjoyment of the experience.
The soft glow of the fire enhances the stories, laughter
and joy of being with friends and family.
The flames become not just a source of warmth,
but a gathering point
that transforms a simple evening into a memorable occasion.
As the sun sets on another day, the camaraderie remains.
These are the moments outdoors that mean the most,
creating memories that withstand the test of time.
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