Fresh Meat in Ilioupoli from the VOUS Butcher Shop
VOUS is a working butcher shop at Katonos 6-8 in Ilioupoli, southern Athens. The counter is organised around how you cook rather than around trade names: steaks for the grill and the pan, portioned pieces for the pot and the oven, mince kept separate by cut, and a long list of ready-marinated items such as Κοντοσούβλι χοιρινό χειροποίητο and Παϊδάκια χοιρινά (Ribs) μαριναρισμένα.
This page brings together every meat category in the shop, so you can start from what you plan to cook rather than from whatever happens to be in front of you. Most product names are written in Greek, and the notes below tell you what each one is. Come by the shop, or order and pay online, and we deliver around Ilioupoli.
What you will find on the counter
Μοσχάρι (beef) is the largest section: steaks such as σπαλομπριζόλα and κόντρα μπριζόλα, portioned pieces for braising and roasting like κιλότο, νουά and ποντίκι, and mince kept separate by the cut it came from, from ελιά and νουά through to σπάλα and λάπα. One rule takes you a long way when choosing: the harder a muscle worked on the animal, the more collagen it holds, and the slower and wetter its cooking needs to be.
Χοιρινό (pork) is the everyday meat. Pieces with fat running through them will sit in the oven for hours without drying out and take well to a lemon, mustard and oregano marinade. Leaner pork wants a fast sear over high heat instead.
Κοτόπουλο & Πουλερικά (chicken and poultry): thighs forgive mistakes in timing because of their fat and connective tissue, breast does not. Half an hour in a simple salt brine before cooking makes a real difference to breast meat.
Αρνί & Κατσίκι (lamb and goat) is Sunday and holiday meat in Greece, with a strong flavour that wants lemon, oregano, garlic and patience at 150 to 160 degrees.
Λουκάνικα & Αλλαντικά (sausages and cured meats) cover the grill, breakfast and the quick weeknight dinner.
Premium κοπές (premium cuts) is a separate range that runs from the heavily marbled, such as Ribeye Αμερικής creekstone and Μοσχάρι Wagyu A5 Rib-Eye, to leaner, coarse-grained steaks like Flap steak Αμερικής, Outside skirt Αμερικής and Rump steak Αμερικής, which want high heat, a short time on it and slicing against the grain.
Alongside these there are two separate ranges: Μοσχάρι Μοναστήρι, beef from Greek farms, and Βουβάλι Κερκίνης, buffalo that is leaner and darker than beef and needs a slightly lighter hand on the heat.
How much to buy per person, and cooking temperatures
For quantities, start at 200 to 250 grams of boneless meat per adult, and 300 to 350 grams when the cut is on the bone, since the bone weighs on the scale but never reaches the plate. For burgers or a pasta sauce, count 150 to 180 grams of mince per person. If the table is loaded with starters and sides, come down a little from those numbers.
When you cook, a thermometer beats a clock every time. For beef, 52 to 54 degrees in the centre gives medium rare and 57 to 60 gives medium. Pork grilling cuts are done and still juicy at 63 degrees, while a collagen-rich piece destined for slow cooking wants to climb close to 90 degrees so the connective tissue melts and the meat pulls apart with a fork. Chicken needs 74 degrees at the thickest point, measured away from the bone.
Two habits improve the result and cost nothing. Take the meat out of the fridge 30 to 45 minutes before cooking so the centre is not fridge-cold, and let it rest afterwards. Five minutes is enough for a steak, 15 to 20 minutes for a leg or a large roast. Cut into it straight away and the juices end up on the board instead of the plate.
Thickness, cubes and mince: what each way of cooking wants
Thickness changes the result even more than the cut does. For the grill, 2.5 to 3 centimetres is the sweet spot. Anything thinner cooks through before it develops a crust, and anything over 4 centimetres is better started gently and finished over high heat. For a braise, 4 to 5 centimetre cubes hold their shape, since small pieces simply fall apart over three hours in the pot. The counter and the online store already sort things along these lines: Μπριζόλες are the grill and pan cuts, Μερίδες are the pieces meant for the pot and the oven.
With mince, the cut it came from matters. Mince from σπάλα or λάπα carries more fat and suits burgers, which want roughly 20 percent fat or they turn out dry and tight. Leaner mince, from νουά or ελιά, is the better choice for a sauce that simmers for an hour. Mix mince only until it just holds together, because overworking it gives a bouncy, rubbery texture.
Storage is simple. Fresh meat goes on the coldest shelf of the fridge and gets cooked within two to three days, mince the same day or the next. If you freeze it, portion it first so you only thaw what you will eat, and move it to the fridge 12 to 24 hours ahead. Never thaw in hot water or on the kitchen counter.
Visit the shop or get delivery in Ilioupoli
The shop is at Katonos 6-8, Ilioupoli 163 45, Athens, and the phone number is 210 9758744. Opening hours are Monday, Wednesday and Saturday 08:00 to 17:00, and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 08:00 to 20:00. We are closed on Sundays, so if you are cooking for a Sunday table, plan to shop on Saturday.
If you cannot get to the shop, you can order and pay online through the VOUS online store and browse the full range at your own pace. Delivery runs between 12:00 and 16:00 on the days the shop is open, around Ilioupoli and the neighbouring areas.
The shop belongs to Giorgos Foskolos. If you are not sure which cut suits what you are cooking, or you want to check what is on the counter that day, call 210 9758744 during opening hours. For a big table or a roast that needs planning, it helps to think about it a day ahead rather than at the last minute.
Frequently asked questions
- How much meat should I buy per person?
- Count 200 to 250 grams of boneless meat per adult. For cuts on the bone, raise that to 300 to 350 grams, because the bone adds weight you will not eat. For mince, whether for burgers or a sauce, 150 to 180 grams per person is comfortable. Keep in mind that meat loses roughly a quarter of its weight once it hits the grill or the oven.
- When does delivery run, and how do I order?
- Delivery runs between 12:00 and 16:00 on the days the shop is open. We are closed on Sundays, so there are no deliveries then. You order and pay online through the shop's online store, or you can come to Katonos 6-8 in Ilioupoli. If you want to ask about something before ordering, the number is 210 9758744.
- What do the labels Μερίδες, Μπριζόλες and Έτοιμο και μαριναρισμένο mean?
- They are how the shop groups products by use. Μπριζόλες are the grill and pan cuts, such as σπαλομπριζόλα and κόντρα μπριζόλα. Μερίδες are pieces meant for the pot and the oven, like Μερίδες μοσχάρι κιλότο or Ψαρονέφρι. Έτοιμο και μαριναρισμένο covers items that go straight onto the grill or into the oven, such as Κοντοσούβλι χοιρινό χειροποίητο and Ταλιάτα μόσχου.
- Do I need Greek to order in the shop?
- Not really. Most product names are written in Greek, though some ranges carry an English name too, such as Lamb & Goat and Kerkini Buffalo. This page explains what each category is, and pointing at the piece you want works perfectly well. Saying how you plan to cook it, on the grill, in the oven or in a pot, is usually enough.
- What is the best way to thaw frozen meat?
- In the fridge, with time on your side. Move it out of the freezer 12 to 24 hours ahead depending on size and leave it on a plate on the coldest shelf. Thawing in hot water or on the counter warms the surface more than you want and the meat loses moisture. Then let it sit out for another 30 to 45 minutes before cooking.
Order online, we bring it over
Pick your cuts in our app and we deliver them fresh to your door. Or drop by the shop in Ilioupoli.