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I don't know much about the dark blood thing.

But, lamb and veal are just not as popular as beef or pork. They are both relatively expensive and most people are comfortable with only a couple kinds of cuts so the stock is usually scant at the store (and frozen).

I met a lamb farmer at the market last week and he had all parts of the lamb. I bought some necks and made a delicious (and inexpensive) dinner with them and some green garlic. This week I may try some tongues and ribs.

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I know nothing about this dark blood business, but have a question: does the darkness of the blood actually make the meat decompose faster, or does the appearance just not look as good as long?

Lamb and veal are less popular hence the more expensive price. They are also more resistent to (disgusting) intensive rearing practices used in the US. Chicken and beef are much less expensive in the US than in other countries compared to other food options because of these practices.

Consider buying a whole or half lamb. A small inexpensive freezer will easily hold half of a lamb. It is fun to experiment with different cuts. We store one on our patio. The quality is higher, the price is better, and the air miles are much lower than imported Australian.

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There does seem to be a difference in the pH of beef vs. lamb, at least according to some articles in the journal "Meat Science" (seriously I couldn't even make that up). The pH difference only occurs after the animals are slaughtered. Maybe that it what accounts for the "dark blood" appearance, and/or the earlier spoilage.

I am suspicious of your butcher's explanation, because I doubt that lamb's blood is significantly different than the blood of any other mammal.

Does this mean that lamb bought from the supermarket is fresher than beef bought at one? It sounds like they have to turn things over faster. I really try to avoid buying meat at the supermarket if I can, but sometimes I can't, and it would be nice to know if lamb was a better bet than beef.

Freshness at the supermarket can be a confusing concept sometimes.

Much of the fresh seafood and meat like lamb has been frozen, defrosted and then placed in the cooler to give the appearance of being fresh. Most seafood that has been previously frozen is usually labeled "previously frozen" in small print.

With something like lamb, you just have to trust the store's dating methods. You really are better off going to a small butcher shop or your local farmer's market if you are uncertain about the freshness at your supermarket. Supermarkets will try to get away with whatever they can.

Oddly enough, with beef, you don't have to worry about freshness at the supermarket because it is most likely TOO fresh. The beef cattle are slaughtered, packaged and sent to market so fast that the muscle hasn't had enough time to age. 28 days is about the minimum recommended amount of time for beef to age in order to taste the way it should. Under-aged beef can taste overly bloody, like iron.