I Tried GUGA'S BAKING SODA Test on a VEGAN STEAK and this happened!! 

Thanks to Lumen for sponsoring. To get $100 off Lumen go to go.lumen.me/saucestache and get your free metabolic health score.

Overnight is WAY too long for baking soda. If you do this again, 30 min max for baking soda. Anything more and it breaks too many of the proteins down and you start getting the mush like you showed in the video.

Something to keep in mind with regards to the baking soda. Alkaline solutions are used to get rid of fungus. I don’t know exactly how the alkaline solutions affect the cells of fungus to kill it, but that may account for the different texture and taste.

If you’ve watched Severance, you’re definitely not buying anything from Lumen haha

Excellent video as always. But, I want to say one thing. I personally am not sure you should be promoting "health" devices on your channel. You tend to lean towards the logical, science based thought process as a whole I feel. But, Lumen's science is iffy. Its studies own consulted that it provides "similar trends" to RER and that really being "kinda" close to RER by pattern is to generalized and definitely shouldn't be labeled "incredibly powerful". There should be some sort of disclaimer I guess is all I am suggesting. It should be used as a purely motivational tool and marketed like that alone. People might get the wrong idea that it is actually giving precise, accurate information and its not. That's all. Keep up the great work!

One way I imagine using this is as follows: Create two meat substitutes, one with baking soda, the other - with salt. Roll them out in two discs, each of them with the thickness of the desired meat layer. Stack, roll, or use any other suitable method, to mold those two layers together (without mixing them). Voila, you have something resembling meat texture.

You should have tried meat tenderizer, unless you already have. It was interesting watching how Monica went back and forth between the control and the salt, but was actively avoiding the baking soda steak.

Congratulations on the race my goodness!

what are the chances! I just tried this vegan steak for the first time Thursday, I was super impressed with their calorie --> protein & fiber ratios

The running makes me happy! I havent been running as much lately, but pre-kids I was doing marathons and ultras (well, one) pretty often. It's SO ADDICTIVE!!

I actually have this 2-3 times a week!! LOVE it!

great video! looks amazing! would love to see future videos where you both do this in a blind test and see if you can guess the versions

Last time I made the meati steaks, used a cast iron, added mushroom and onions, plant butter, 21 seasoning. Cut through the steak with a fork.

I am excited to try this. Love your Channel.

So the baking soda pretty much transformed the steak into a paté. Nice experiment.

Great information on this video. Love the blind taste testing format!

Fun video! Congrats on the health journey and race!

Love when you experiment like this!

Thanks for the video! What brand is the cast iron griddle and where can I get it? I didn't know you can use cast iron on electric smooth top.

Damn haven’t watched you in a couple years good job on your fitness journey man!!!!

I’ll have to try this one day. I’ve seen them at Whole Foods but never bought one.

I haven't tried this company's products yet because I try to avoid the Uncanny Valley, you know? But for future serving to non-vegans, I will keep the salt rub method in mind so thanks for running this test. I also think it's likely someone at Meati is watching YT videos like this one, and I wouldn't be suprised if R & D takes your experiment under advisement in creating newer versions of this product. "Don't baking soda your Meatis!" What a time to be alive!

i like meati for what it is. it's expensive, yes, but nice for a treat. :) their chikun fillets are good, too--maybe even better than the steakuns. thanks for introducing us to meati, mark! and thanks for this experiment.

I figured the baking soda version would be too mushy. I imagine it's already more tender, on its own, than steak made from slaughtered cows.

Good stuff

I've tried Meati's chicken and steak, and while the flavor is ok, IMO their texture is way off for the things they're trying to imitate. But it would be perfect for tuna. I don't know why they haven't done that yet.

The baking soda one sounds like a contender for taquitos.

Thanks!

I wonder if for mushroom-based stakes the pH influences the integrity (since baking soda is much stronger than salt) making salt better than baking soda.... Pertty interesting! Also, lumen is a pretty crazy technical gadget, I must say :D I am not on board with these normally BUT I can totally see how this could be helpful for a lot of people!

Maybe the baking soda trick would be good for a seitansteak, because seitan is often too chewy?

I really like the meati steak. I love their flavor.

Theory before i get to the end... Meat isn't the same as mushroom and doesn't react to baking soda like meat would.

Love those Meati steaks. They're like a filet mignon.

I just bought these for the first time i will have to try the salt on it. 👍

Try microwaving before cooking. Should give it more bite, right?

I heard you in a previous video mentioned that now that you’ve gotten older you can’t just drink 4 cups of coffee every morning I’m having an issue with caffeine and I was just wondering what prompted you to this realization thanks a lot

Hey try sodium carbonate instead, it's better. It's the stuff they use to tenderise pasta. You can make it by simmering baking powder til there's no more vapour coming off.

Baking Soda Meatloaf you could use a egg replacer as a binder.

I use baking soda to soak chickpeas overnight for a smoother, creamier hummus. Pro tip: calling it sodium bicarb makes it sound more credible.

When I tried Meati it didn’t need to be tenderized.. I was actually suprised how mushy it was. The texture was not what I expected.

You may have done the baking soda one for too long. I believe normally when you do that technique you only let it work on the meat for an hour. It may have caused some negative effects letting it work overnight. That would be my guess. You may have to try it again and only for an hour and see if that makes any difference.

I do think you should get slimmer glasses because they would better frame your smaller face. The big glasses looked good on the bigger face. I love your channel and I have for quite awhile, your weight loss journey and ingredient recommendations (marmite) have been game changing. I love you and your content and you've had such a positive impact on my life.

lol did you start off with the same music Guga uses?

Soy sauce soak is also good and gets closer to the "it's meat" color

I tried Meati and was not a fan, it came out way too wet. Just sort of mushy. Sounds like you had the opposite situation here? If anything I wanted mine more dried out. I definitely didn't baking soda mine but it sounds like they came out like yours did without having done so.

This isn't just gugas trick. I learned this maybe 15 years ago from a Pakistani friend who also changed my mind on ajinomoto way back when.

Bro thought he was binging with babish now he think he ethan cleb lol

Gotta bust out a vegan bordelaise sauce :)

👍🏿

Mine out of the box ... thawed ... cooked like a normal steak was terrible. *Very mushy and no flavor!!!* Thinking I did not cook it long enough (7 min on each side) put it back in the Iron Skillet for 5 more min on each side. Did not help it all. *So far the only thing that comes close to a steak, flavor and texture is by Nasoya Plantspired Plant-Based Korean BBQ Flavor Steak.* It so good, it causes me to have some doubt that it plant-base???

Can you make a fish alternative, things are getting heated at our house.....Or "this" is just as nutritious if not better than fish etc...

This was not on my 2024 Bingo That's it

Thanks for the reply. I would like to point out that unless you have recently updated the conclusions provided your own studies that it says “similar trends” to RER. And I quote from your own validation available on your website “Moreover, Lumen showed similar trends to the gold standard method when measuring changes in metabolic fuel…” It says it on your own website. Similar trends is not the same as “meeting”. It’s similar. I am not saying that Lumen is not a great motivational tool. Nor do I imply that it is a scam. The data does show it works in a “relatively comparable” way. Again, another quote from your studies. And you should be specific and fair to the public who may not have the time or the inclination to understand the outcomes and conclusions of studies. I am simply saying that expectations can lead to misleading conclusions when it comes to health and that should be laid out in any advertisement not just in the legalese on your site.

I'm not vegan/vegetarian but when I'm on a meat diet, I love meati. I went as far as to contact the company, and I believe they genuinely care about limiting additives and are eco-conscious, which I appreciate.

I have been trying to get meati for about two years and I just gave up and unsubscribed from the mailing because it's literally impossible to get in Massachusetts

This is an AWESOME product. I purchased each item. All with good ingredients

I hate mushrooms so I've been scared to try this steak. Can someone confirm it doesn't taste like mushrooms

A better video would be taking their basic recipe and using it for all sorts of mushrooms to make vegie steak. They probably use the mycellium for cost as its cheaper to produce than the fruiting bodies. The same binding agents (oats probably) should work on regular mushrooms. That way people could use the recipe on wild mushrooms they forage.

Ayo dawg this ain't steak, this is cat food 💀💀

Good god if this isn't the vegan's Spam, I don't know what is. There is not a shot of those steaks that look appetizing

I was honestly not impressed by Meati. Maybe I didn't cook it right?

Thank god I am not vegan

mushroom root sounds so stupid and is a totally incorrect analogy. wonder why the company chose to word it that way

I don't understand why some people believe plant-based is about chemicals!??? People... it's "PLANT BASED" read the label. It's perfectly healthy. No I'm not against some eating meat, why should some be against plant-based protein? Are you perhaps "farmers?" We have the right to eat whatever we want...continue farming and please leave us alone.

that "steak" is still super proceed food..and not healthy for you. Even if u believe it

Oh no, not meati. I had those, its disgusting

Soylent Green is PEOPLE!