In article >, "Jack Denver"
> wrote:

> OK, I'll rephrase my response - if there's no such thing as moist heat, why
> do many BBQ smokers come with water pans?

The pan is to shield the meat from the direct heat of the fire.
Lo-n-slo cooking is usually (but not always)done with indirect heat.
The water is optional-it acts chiefly as a heat sink-some people use
sand in the pan instead of water-some folks use an empty pan (as I do)
The moisture from the boiling water does zippidee for the moistness of
the meat.
Take a tenderloin and boil it until well done. You'll find when you
slice it the meat will be as dry as a bone, even though it was swimming
in water while it was being cooked.
Water in meat leaves on a pretty much one-way ticket-never to return.
You can steam, mop, shoot, slop, baste and glop all you want but you
won't replace a single drop of moisture back into the meat.

monroe(there's sometimes a fine line between done and dried)