Self Basting = Max. Results!
Next Level Color, Texture, Appearance, Moisture, and Bark!
The meat you smoke has fat and that fat renders. Once it starts to render properly it will run down the outside surface of the meat. This does a couple important things:
1- Evaporative Cooling which is the effect of rendering fat and juices evaporating off the surface of the meat which has a slight cooling effect towards the bottom of the meat which protects it from burning and helps the meat cook evenly from top to bottom. This is also called "Self Basting"
2- Caramelization happens when the fats and juices mix with the sugars, spices, and proteins of the meat yielding amazing color, mouth feel, and bark!