The Unique Fruity Ingredient We Didn't Expect To Find In Costco's Kirkland Signature Steak Strips

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Kirkland Signature, Costco's in-house brand, is known for delivering high-quality food and beverage products at low warehouse prices. One such product is the brand's extra thick cut strips of steak made from premium cut, cured, and dried beef. In addition to being gluten-free and protein-packed, Kirkland Signature Steak Strips are made with a fruity ingredient one might not expect in a savory snack made of meat: peach puree concentrate. 

Customers who peruse the bag — perhaps to investigate what makes the dried beef "natural-style" — might be surprised to see a sweet stone fruit in the ingredient list. However, it isn't unusual to use fruit puree or concentrate in beef jerky or dried beef marinades. The fruity sweetness balances out the savory, meaty flavor of the beef as well as other pungent, acidic ingredients often used in jerky marinades such as vinegar and Dijon mustard. In addition to helping cure the meat and kill bacteria during the drying process, vinegar is also a tangy ingredient that gives beef jerky depth of flavor. 

Another reason to use peach puree as a marinade is because it adds moisture and helps tenderize the beef. This gives the steak strips their signature soft, easy-to-chew texture, in contrast to other types of beef jerky that are drier and require more jaw power to chew. In addition to the puree, Kirkland's Steak Strips contain a small amount of brown sugar and cultured sugar which can help retain moisture in the beef during the drying process.

Kirkland's Steak Strips are labeled as "natural-style" presumably because they are made from fresh ingredients and taste and look more like actual beef than other plastic-y looking jerkies. The steak strips are made from whole top round beef, which tracks as one of the absolute best cuts of beef for top tier beef jerky. The packaging indicates that the steak strips have a "very tender bite" and are made with "just the right amount of moisture."

Because the strips are made with more moisture than other beef jerky varieties, they must be refrigerated once opened. Some types of dehydrated beef can be stored at room temperature and eaten within a couple of days of opening, however, high-moisture jerky can spoil when exposed to oxygen and thus should be kept in the fridge. If it doesn't say "refrigerate after opening" on the package, you generally can store an opened bag of jerky in a cool, dark pantry at room temperature for two to three days. You can also refrigerate it to prolong its freshness. 

Store-bought beef jerky can be pricey, ranging on average around $2.00 per ounce. However, Costco members can purchase a 12-ounce package of Kirkland Signature Steak Strips for $12.99 through the retailer's website (just $1.08 per ounce), demonstrating why it pays to be a warehouse member. Non-members are subject to a 5% surcharge on items purchased online. A 2-pack of Kirkland Signature Steak Strips are also available on Amazon.