Is this locust? And cooking over coals?

[wahoowad]

My phone isn’t capturing the varying shades of yellow, but I’m only used to seeing a yellow wood with locust. But I’m not used to the bark looking like this. It could be a variety. I’m not familiar with. I know Poplar can have a yellow tent, but this 100% is not popular. It’s definitely a dense wood.

It was standing dead and the bark looked more like oak so I cut some up and set it aside for grilling steaks over at my campsite. But I’m thinking may not be good for cooking over. What do you think?

 

[gruesome]

Does it burn? Short of using fat wood, anything should work for grilling steaks. And even fat wood would work if you are ok with wiping the black coating off the meat. I think mayonnaise works great for that...

Sorry, I don't know what kind of wood this is. It is not oak?

 

[wahoowad]

Y’know, there aren’t any locusts in the stretch of woods that I’ve seen. But the bark looks just like Dogwood and there are dogwoods all over. Does Dogwood have yellow wood? I searched and it is a dense wood.

 

[ScottLewis]

That is locust. In the past 2 weeks, I have cut up and split 3 locust trees. That green bark throws off a locust expert like me, but it is just rotten locust bark with some green mold on it.

My neighbors grilled ribeyes on locust coals. I had never heard of that and thought locust might ruin the meat. In fact, the steaks were quite good. Locust doesn't impart a particularly good flavor like hickory, but it is not bad.

 

[CincyBurner]

It looks like Eastern redbud.
VT Dendro redbud
Both redbud and black locust are legumes and both have yellow wood.
Wood doesn't look right for black locust. Bark looks scaly like red bud and not blocky like black locust.

 

[wahoowad]

Yes, the bark does look like Redbud but I have one in my yard and know none of them are out at my camp area. Here are the leaves from the tree that is everywhere (I was thinking it was Dogwood but haven't had a chance to check:

 

[stoveliker]

That doesn't look like the black locust here. The wood grain is also much finer than the locust here.

 

[ScottLewis]

Wahoowad those leaves are not locust, I don't know what they are. But that split wood looks exactly like my locust.

 

[bigealta]

Not locust. Possibly sassafras? It's very light weight.

 

[patrickk222]

Thats definitely not black or honey locust ive dealt with it enough in my area .... what i believe it is is ash or something else entirely im leaning on ash