The aim of the study was to assess the effect of methods of heat treatment on selected quality parameters of longissimus thoracis muscle of Limousin calves, subjected to grilling, steaming, and sous vide cooking. The type of heat treatment did not significantly affect shear force or water activity. Cooking loss in the grilled and steamed meat was significantly higher than in the sous vide. While the content of vitamin E was significantly lower in the cooked meat, it was retained to the greatest degree in the grilled meat and least in the steamed meat. The TBARS index significantly increased during all cooking methods with the highest level in steamed meat. The sensory analysis revealed a preference for the sous vide and grilled meat, while the steamed meat received the lowest scores. Although veal is commonly assumed to be highly nutritious and palatable, its quality can be significantly influenced by the type of heat treatment. •The best cooking method (CM) for veal is sous vide followed by grilling.•Steaming seriously increases lipid oxidation and decreases vitamin E content in veal.•Heat treatments increase lightness and yellowness while decreasing redness of veal.•CM significantly reduces the water and increase protein and fat content of the veal.•The quality of veal can be substantially modified by the cooking method.