Drip pans

[spicydad]

Hello,

I understand putting water pans below meat for long cookings, but I think it's not recommended for small cuts like 1 inch beef steaks or filet. In fact I used to put water pans under steaks in my early days in bbq, and found the meat, although very tasty, were having a very mushy and grainy texture. Almost like ground beef. So I stopped puting water pans for steaks.

Having said that, I always have been doing reverse sear for steaks, using a deflector under meat.
I now have new ceramic deflectors and was wondering if, with no water under meat, do you let the juices drip on your ceramic deflector or you still put an empty pan on it?

I'm asking this because it seems necessary to clean these deflectors and it looks like it's a chore to do. I would also like to minimize the use of aluminium paper used to cover up deflectors that goes directly to thrash afterward, so a reusable empty container seems to be a good choice. What do you think?

Thanks

[HawkerXP]

For steaks and such I just put a layer of foil to cover the meat side charcoal grate.

I use the Slow n Sear for almost all cooks, so I put foil down even if using a drip pan. Cuts down on the mess in the kettle. Directs airflow to the underside of the SnS.

[DaveD]

I don't see the benefit of having a water pan for such a short cook as reverse searing steaks. Having some humidity in the cooker's atmosphere is not likely to have the chance to affect the outcome - but, I hear you when you report your earlier experience (cries out for an experiment! ). I realize I'm basically saying "That's all very well in practice, but what about in theory?" But I can't help but wonder if the presence of the water pan could really affect the texture that strongly... good luck, looking forward to seeing how it turns out!

[spicydad]

Well since I stopped doing that, my steaks texture are much like a normal pan seared steak. It was in a WSM though. Maybe the water pan was too large or I was putting too much water in it. I don't know.

[RonB]

I would use a "dry" tray if ya want to save foil. It will mean that you will have to clean that tray though. I don't know, but maybe a light coating of oil might help keep the tray clean.

[spicydad]

Sounds good, and it's no big deal to clean these trays than the porous ceramic disc

[LA Pork Butt]

I use a drip pan on my BGE or cover the ceramic defuser with foil to keep it clean when reverse searing.

[Skip]

I do the same with my BGE.

[Smoker_Boy]

Any re-usable container would have to be washed somehow. This would require energy.
So don't worry about the amount of aluminum foil you use.

[SmokeyGator]

Really depends on your cooker. High air flow cookers benefit from a water pan. Low flow cookers not so much.

I have a kamado style cooker. So low air flow. I only use a pan when I am smoking a turkey. And then the water pan is more of a gravy pan I put a bunch of stuff in. Orange juice, vinegar, onions (with the peels still on), various fresh herbs and spices, chunks of fat and not so gross stuff I remove from the giblets bag, and so on.

[Oak Smoke]

I use a stainless steel platter that I got from the Ceramic Grill Store. It is sold for that porpoise . When I reverse sear I use direct heat, no diffuser at all, and no drip pan. The fat hitting the coals gives a nice smell and for the most part burns up. When I do long cooks such as brisket, pork butt, or ribs I use the ceramic diffuser with the stainless pan on top of it. At the end of the cook you will be amazed at how much stuff accumulated on that platter that is not in your cooker making a mess. I just scrape the platter when it’s cool the next day and it’s ready to go again.

[Bob K]

I'd use foil but if you want something reusable probably a nonstick/teflon baking sheet on top of the ceramic would be easiest to clean. Or pizza pan if you want it round.