6 center-cut loin pork chops (1¼ inch to 1½ inch thick) or 4 pork tenderloins (1 to 1¼ lbs each); or one boneless pork loin (4 to 6 lbs)
Place peppercorns in a plastic bag and roll with rolling pin to crack.
Stir the hot water, vanilla, sugar and salt together until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
Add cracked peppercorns and cool in the refrigerator until chilled.
Trim any excess external fat from the pork.
Submerge the pork in the brine in a large bowl. Make sure the meat stays under the surface during curing by using a heavy plate to weight it down.
Refrigerate the pork in the brine mixture — 4-6 hours for chops; 6-8 hours for tenderloins; and 1-2 days for a boneless loin. Bone-in pork can take a day longer in the brine because the bone gives it a larger diameter. When marinating for more than a day, stir the brine daily and turn the pork occasionally.
To test flavor of brined pork, cut a small piece off the meat, pat it dry and pan-fry it.
When the meat is sufficiently flavorful, remove it from the brine and let it come to room temperature.
Grill chops or tenderloins or roast the pork loin to taste.
