On Wed, 8 Oct 2003 19:10:23 GMT, Default User
> wrote:

>Frogleg wrote:
>
>> Braising (cooking previously browned meat in a covered container with
>> a small amount of liquid) and roasting (exposing meat to dry oven
>> heat) are rather different processes. The puzzle is why this is a
>> *new* problem for you. Water baths are used for oven-cooked dishes
>> like custards to both even out the heat and expose the pan to
>> temperatures lower than 212F.
>
>Reread the original message:
>
>"A friend thinks it's because I use a bit of water at the bottom of the
>roasting pan. But the meat is always on a rack inside the pan so
>doesn't sit in the water."
>
>No braising at all.

Sorry. Didn't see original. In that case I have nothing to add other
than agreeing with an earlier poster who suggested the water was
creating a cool zone in the oven. It still is puzzling (to me) that
the OP only had this problem with a new oven. Could it be because oven
heat was/is generated in different places? My gas oven's heat comes
from beneath the oven floor; I believe many electric ones have coils
both above and below the cooking area, inside the oven.