Easy Pulled Veal with Sweet & Savory BBQ Sauce
Pulled veal hoagie plated with chips

Easy Pulled Veal with Sweet & Savory BBQ Sauce

Pulled veal in the slow cooker is super easy and its perfect for feeding a family any night of the week. This veal recipe calls for veal shoulder or veal stew meat. Either will work perfect for cooking in a slow cooker or braising in the oven. Not to mention. simple spices and ingredients, you likely already have at home.

All you need is:

  • Minced garlic
  • Salt and pepper
  • Veal
  • Olive oil
  • Beef stock
  • And lime juice

This easy pulled veal comes together quickly and cooks low and slow in the slow cooker for 3 to 4 hours or until the veal is fork tender and can be shredded. Pairing well with this homemade sweet and savory BBQ sauce cooked on the stove top. Don’t worry if you don’t have enough time to make the homemade BBQ sauce, your store-bought favor will work perfectly! Serve this pulled veal dry with sauces on the side for your family and guests. You can also mix the BBQ sauce into the slow cooker.

This recipe makes great sandwiches, nachos, tacos, or burritos! It’s easy and versatile for any weeknight dinner or lunch. If you like this, check out our shredded veal nachos for another flavor packed dinner or appetizer idea!

Ingredients

Pulled Veal

  • 2 Tsp. Minced garlic
  • 1 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. Black pepper
  • 1.5 lbs. Veal Shoulder or Veal Stew Meat
  • Olive oil as needed
  • 2 cups Beef or veal stock (or enough to cover the meat in the slow cooker)
  • 1.5 Tbsp. Fresh lime juice

Homemade Sweet and Savory BBQ Sauce

  • 1/4 Tbsp. Olive oil
  • 1/4 Cup Drained, diced, canned tomatoes
  • 1/4 Cup sweet onion, roasted and diced (about 2 cups)
  • 1/4 Medium red bell peppers, blackened, peeled, seeded, and diced
  • ¼ Large poblano Chile, blackened, peeled, seeded, and diced (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1/2 Tbsp. Minced garlic
  • 2.5 tsp Minced fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 Tbsp. Dry mustard powder
  • 1/4 Tbsp. Chili powder
  • 1/4 Tbsp. Sweet paprika
  • 1/8 Tsp. Ground cumin
  • 1/8 Tsp. Ancho Chile powder
  • 1/2 Cup Beef stock or reserved veal stock from Pulled Veal
  • 2 tsp. Ketchup
  • 2 tsp. Brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. Molasses
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and pepper as needed
  • 4 Sandwich or bolillo rolls, split
  • ½ to 1 cup Coleslaw

Instructions

To prepare the pulled veal:

  1. Combine garlic, salt, and pepper; rub on all sides of veal shoulder or toss the veal stew meat in the mixture. Brown veal in oil in a skillet.
  2. Add beef stock to slow cooker. Place veal in slow cooker and cover. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or until veal is fork tender. If braising in the oven. Deglaze pan with beef stock, add veal, and cover tightly with foil. Braise in 350°F oven 1 to 2 hours or until veal is fork tender.
  3. Once veal is fully cooked Remove veal from pan and shred. Squeeze fresh lime juice over veal. After cooked this recipe should yield about 1 pound of shredded veal.
  4. Serve with homemade sweet and savory BBQ sauce or your favor sauce from the store. You can toss the veal in the sauce before serving or serve the veal dry.

For the Sweet & Savory BBQ Sauce:

  1. Heat oil over medium high heat in large sauté pan.
  2. Add tomatoes, onion, bell peppers, poblano chiles and garlic; sauté until onion begins to caramelize. 3. Remove the mixture from heat and stir in cilantro.
  3. Lightly toast mustard, chili powder, paprika, cumin and ancho chili powder over medium heat in small sauté pan, being careful not to burn the spices. Add the spices to the vegetable mixture and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes.
  4. Add the stock; simmer to deglaze the pan.
  5. Add ketchup, brown sugar molasses and Worcestershire sauce whisking to blend; season with salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Bring the completed mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently.
  7. Once boiling, reduce heat to a low; simmer until sauce is reduced to about 1 ½ cups, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning, as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use. Reheat before combining with veal.