Lots of water and the heat gets displaced. If too much water evaporates and doesn't get replenished, it'll boil. This is especially true with poultry because the oven is hotter. I replenish with boiling water to keep the oven from cooling off too much.
It works but is also a pita. I like to reverse sear and crisp the skin. To do that with the water pan means that you have to take the meat off, pickup super hot grates, remove super hot pan full of near boiling water, and put the grates back on.
I havent tried this method for a longer cook than slow cook smoked turkey and pork butt. I imagine that it'd work for a big brisket.
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