Vanilla Brined Pork Chops

I found this on the interwebz. It's from the Complete Meat Cookbook by by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly.
Cook time: 20-30 min. Prep time: About 4 hours.

Ingredients:
9 cups hot water
2-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
6 (1-1/4-inch to 1-1/2-inch thick) center-cut loin pork chops

Stir the hot water, vanilla, sugar, and salt together until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add black pepper. Cool to below 45 degrees F in the fridge.

Trim any excess external fat from the meat. Submerge the pork in the brine in a large bowl or small crock. Make sure the meat stays under the surface during curing by using a heavy plate to weight it down. Refrigerate. The chops should take 4 to 6 hours in the brine.

To test flavor of brined pork, cut a small piece off the meat, pat it dry and pan fry it. If the meat is sufficiently flavorful, remove it from brine, let it come to room temp and grill. If not, leave it in the brine and test again later.

To cook the pork, I put some olive oil in a hot cast iron skilled (or grilling pan). Brown on both sides. If the chops are thick, I pop them in the oven at about 350 to finish them.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Note: You may substitute 4 pork tenderloins (1 to 1-1/4 pounds each) or 1 (4- to 6-pound) piece of boneless pork loin. The tenderloin will need 6 to 8 hours in the brine and the loin, 1 to 2 days. If marinating for a day or longer, stir the brine daily and turn the pork occasionally.