HOUSTON — Meet pitmaster Sloan Rinaldi, the owner of the Texas Q barbeque joint.
While some of us are lucky enough to find one passion in life, Rinaldi has found two!
"I have been very blessed with the passions that I've been able to pursue in my life. Not many people get to do that twice," she said.
These days, Sloan spends her time firing up the pit, but for decades, the award-winning pitmaster did commercial landscape development for 32 years.
"To leave your mark and go back and see something years later is absolutely rewarding," she said.
Something else she finds rewarding is breaking the mold and helping to establish a place for women in fields dominated by men.
Sloan is just one of a handful of female pitmasters in the state.
"There's three of us in the state that actually own and operate our own place, that's it. But there are a lot of women and young girls that are finding an affinity for BBQ and I would love to lift them up and show them what can be done," she said.
Now, if you're wondering how she went from landscaping to barbeque, Sloan said she one day had a "lightbulb moment."
"Watching barbeque pitmasters on TV and saying, 'I can do that!'" she said.
She had a custom pit built and then "Texas Q" was born. Soon, Sloan had created her own line of barbeque sauces, which for a time, were sold in HEB stores across the state.
But she didn't stop there. Sloan continued to put her skills to the test in barbeque competitions, traveling with an all-female cooking team. She even competed on Food Network's 'Chopped 2018 Grillmasters Tournament,' where she went head-to-head with some of the best pitmasters in the country.
"It was a really stiff competition, and I was the only woman representing Texas," Sloan said.
And while she got into the game later than most, you might say Sloan was destined to do this: She's a fourth-generation pitmaster.
"My family has been doing it for 100 years. They started in 1909 in Crockett, Texas, my grandfather smoking BBQ from the general store," she said.
She's tweaked up her family recipes to create mouth-watering craft barbeque and delicious sides.
"Five cheese jalapeno white truffle mac, candied baked beans, corn pudding and fried cabbage," she said, listing off some of her delectable treats. "Everything is made from scratch using premium ingredients."
From the pit to her food truck, creating good food and great vibes for her customers is now Sloan's passion. But her calling is to be a great role model.
She gave this message to young girls:
"This is the time to come in and shake up the world and be who you are."