It has always intrigued me that one of the more overt signs of Ennis starting to display some feelings about/towards Jack, is when he tries to replace the beans with soup.He has already been told soup is a pain so he is putting himself out for Jack.
The episode continues, with the best intentions of Ennis being thwarted by a bear. On returning to camp, Jack immediately tries to bathe the wound on Ennis's head, but is pushed away.
It seems there is an ongoing and invisible tug of war. Ennis has maybe recognised within himself, some emotion of which he is wary. It is undoubtedly alien to him, and he seems unwilling, to accept or acknowledge it on anything but his own terms. So his plan to please Jack,with the soup, goes wrong and when Jack then tries to aid him, he is pushed away and we are back with taciturn Ennis.This theme pretty much continues, with Ennis calling most of the shots.
We seem to have 2 tugs of war ongoing.The one between Ennis and Jack, which is both emotional and physical and the one within the deep recesses of Ennis's mind.Food is universally acknowledged to be nurturing, loving, providing succour and it is interesting that this is the route Ennis chooses as he stumbles around with his new found emotions.Which returns to the way he seasons the food. It seems food, in all its guises is a way Ennis has found to move closer to Jack. It is demonstrated later, when they go from separate drinking cups to passing the bottle and each swigging from it.
I personally have always thought the preparing and serving of food to the one you love, is a very intimate gesture.