Taste This: Filipino adobo pork sandwich ($18 as of July 25, 2024) at Lock 15 Brewing Co., located at 21 W. North St. in Akron.
Creator: Jessica Starr, Executive Chef
Eye test: Healthy-sized pork sandwich wedged between two slices of golden brown Texas toast. Red wine onions add a subtle hint of color in combination with the darker braised pork.
What makes the sandwich special? Starr has the pleasure of attending her Filipino friends’ family cookouts, where adobo pork is prominent. She was inspired to adapt the pork into a sandwich for Lock 15’s menu, especially for the summer season.
“I like doing some stuff outside the box,” Starr said. “This menu in particular has a lot of Asian noodle influence, so I thought [the sandwich] would fit in nicely with the menu as a whole.”
Process: Adobo pork is braised for around four hours in a combination of vinegar, garlic, mirepoix (diced vegetables) and dried chilies. The slow cook achieves a soft, tender texture for the meat. “It basically falls off the bone,” Starr said.
Shredded Brussels sprouts and onions are caramelized as part of their preparation; the onions are steeped in red wine and sugar to attain a sweeter texture. Hot honey is also drizzled in the sandwich for a trace of heat.
Beverage Pairing: Starr recommends Lock 15’s Cascade Locks Pale Ale or the Killer Fog New England IPA.
Backstory: Starr, who grew up in Medina, worked in restaurants for more than 17 years, cooking at local spots such as Russo’s Restaurant in Cuyahoga Falls and the former Nuevo Modern Mexican and Tequila Bar in Akron. She turned to cooking during the Great Recession in 2007 after struggling to find a job with her psychology degree.
Sides: Dish includes chips. Upgraded side options include fries, side salad, jalapeño grits, celery root purée, fried Brussels sprouts or carrot ginger slaw.
Starr joined Lock 15 Brewing Co. in 2022 as executive chef. She and her staff are responsible for changing the menu twice per year to accommodate the seasons. Starr said her team overhauls 80% of the previous season’s menu to incorporate new items.
“It seems lately, a lot of the driving factors — probably the past few menus — have been sauces or sides that we want to do,” Starr said. “That drives the theme of the menu, what we can do with three or four main ingredients and work our way back from that.”
Lock 15 Brewing Co. History: Since opening in 2018, Lock 15 Brewing Co. has operated in the former Swinehart Tire & Rubber Factory, located at the corner of West North and North Howard streets.
The building also offers loft apartments and an event space for social gatherings. The building is located next to Cascade Locks Park, which is home to historic city landmarks such as Mustill Store and Lock 15.
How to buy: Lock 15 Brewing Co. is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (closed Mondays).
“Taste This” is our glimpse of the Akron area’s tastiest, distinctive and popular (or soon-to-be-famous) food, drinks and desserts — and the local culinary talents behind them. Tough job, we know. Know any menu items we should consider? Tell us here.
