"Jack Denver" > wrote in message
...
> Frohe wasn't talking about BBQ specifically - he said that moist heat is
an
> "urban myth". I suppose that technically speaking, heat is heat, and
there
> is no such thing as "moist heat", but there is such a thing as cooking in
> the presence/absence of water/steam and this has an influence on the
> results. - otherwise broccoli steamed in a closed steamer at 212 would be
> the same as broccoli baked on a cookie sheet in the oven at 212 and it's
> clearly not.

As frying gives a different result that cooking in a crock pot, also.

> 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 water pans are used to provide some amount of mass to dampen out
temperature fluctuations. Many have reported that using sand instead of
water in the water pan gives essentially the same cooking results, less the
hassle of having to refill with water every few hours on those long cooks.

I myself have wondered about the difference between steam and "dry steam"
also. Seems like an oxymoron.