Meat delivery in Ilioupoli from the ΒΟΥΣ butcher shop

Two classics on the steak side are Κόντρα μπριζόλα με κόκκαλο (bone-in sirloin, from the loin behind the ribs) and Σπαλομπριζόλα με κόκκαλο (bone-in chuck, cut further forward toward the shoulder). The sirloin is leaner and firmer, with a strip of fat along one edge that renders down onto the meat over charcoal. The chuck carries more marbling and connective tissue, which makes it far more forgiving if you leave it on a minute too long. Both are also available boneless, which makes carving at the table easier, and there is Φιλέτο (tenderloin) when you want the leanest, most tender option.

From the Greek Μοσχάρι Μοναστήρι range we send Rib-eye Μοναστήρι, Κόντρα Μπριζόλα Μοναστήρι and Σπαλομπριζόλα Μοσχάρι Μοναστήρι. Among the imported cuts you will find Ribeye Αμερικής creekstone, Rib-eye Βραζιλίας, Μοσχάρι Rib-Eye Ουρουγουάης, Μοσχάρι Picanha Αμερικής and Μοσχάρι Striploin Αμερικής, plus Μοσχάρι Wagyu A5 Rib-Eye for the nights that call for something different. From Βουβάλι Κερκίνης there is Μπριζόλα Βουβάλι and Κιμάς Βουβάλι, both Greek buffalo.

On the pork side, Χοιρινή σπαλομπριζόλα and Πανσέτα χοιρινή με κόκκαλο handle both charcoal and the oven, while Ψαρονέφρι (pork tenderloin) is lean and needs watching. If you have no time to prep anything, Σουβλάκια χοιρινά χειροποίητο, Κοντοσούβλι χοιρινό χειροποίητο, Παϊδάκια χοιρινά (Ribs) μαριναρισμένα and Γύρος χοιρινός χειροποίητος all go out ready to cook. For poultry there is Φιλέτο στήθος, Φιλέτο μπούτι με δέρμα, Κοτόπουλο Κρήτης ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΑΚΗΣ and Σουβλάκι κοτόπουλο από μπούτι χειροποίητο.

Take the steak out of the fridge 30 to 40 minutes before it hits the heat. Meat that is still cold in the middle will scorch on the outside long before the centre catches up. Pat the surface properly dry with paper first, because surface moisture has to evaporate before any browning can start, and while it is evaporating the meat is simply steaming. Salt either just before cooking or at least forty minutes ahead, never in between, since that middle window is when the salt has drawn moisture to the surface but the meat has not yet reabsorbed it.

Thickness matters more than weight. A steak under two centimetres reaches its target core temperature before it can build a crust, so you end up with either a pale steak or an overcooked one. At 2.5 to 3 centimetres you have room to work: high heat to develop the surface, then a move to a cooler zone so the centre climbs gently. Core temperatures: 50-52°C for rare, 54-56°C for medium rare, 60-63°C for medium. Pull the meat two or three degrees short, because it keeps cooking off the heat.

Resting is not optional. Five to ten minutes on a warm plate, loosely covered, lets the juices redistribute. Cut into it straight away and you will find them all on the board instead. Coarse-grained cuts change the approach entirely: Flap steak Αμερικής, Outside skirt Αμερικής and Μοσχάρι flank-steak Αμερικής want very high heat, only a few minutes, and then slicing thinly across the grain. Μοσχάρι Picanha Αμερικής starts fat cap down so it renders into the meat, and Μοσχάρι Wagyu A5 Rib-Eye needs neither oil nor time: brief heat, thin slices, shared around.

The rule we give across the counter: 250 to 300 grams per person for bone-in steak, 200 to 250 grams boneless. The difference is precisely the bone, which weighs something and does not get eaten. For chops such as Παϊδάκια Προβατινα or Πρόβειο ANGUS Παϊδάκι, push it up to 350 to 400 grams per person, both because the bone-to-meat ratio is higher and because people get through them faster than they expect.

For mince, count 150 to 180 grams per person for burgers or patties. Κιμάς μοσχαρίσιος ελιά is the leaner option and suits stuffed vegetables and sauces, Κιμάς μοσχαρίσιος σπάλα carries the fat a burger needs to stay juicy, and Κιμάς ανάμεικτος is the one for pastitsio and moussaka. If you would rather not shape anything by hand, Μπιφτέκι burger χειροποίητο 180g and Σουτζουκάκια 85g come ready to cook.

For pot and oven dishes the numbers drop, because the plate comes with potatoes, rice or pasta alongside. Around 180 to 220 grams per person covers you with Μοσχάρι οσομπούκο με κόκκαλο or Μερίδες μοσχάρι σπάλα, cuts that need long, low heat so the collagen breaks down and the meat turns silky. Μοσχάρι Wagyu A5 Rib-Eye goes the other way: stay at 100 to 120 grams per person, because the fat content fills you quickly and a large portion becomes tiring rather than impressive.

Ordering and payment both happen online, inside the shop's app, where you can browse the cuts and place the order without picking up the phone. Deliveries run daily from 12:00 to 16:00 and cover Ilioupoli, Argyroupoli, Agios Dimitrios, Dafni and Vyronas. The shop is closed on Sundays, so no orders go out that day.

The shop opens at 08:00 Monday to Saturday, and the closing time for each individual day is listed in the hours further up this page. If it suits you to come in, we are at Katonos 6-8, Ilioupoli 163 45. You can look at the cuts up close and we will prepare them on the spot. For anything you want to ask before ordering, the number is 210 9758744.

Because the meat is cut by hand each morning, it is worth calling if you want a cut handled a particular way, and we will tell you straight what is possible that day. Once the order arrives, get it onto the coldest shelf of the fridge and leave it in its packaging until you cook it. Anything you will not eat within a day or two goes into the freezer split into meal-sized portions, so you only ever thaw what you need, and thawing happens overnight in the fridge rather than on the kitchen counter.