Check out this classy pork chop stuffed with bacon, apple, bleu cheese, shallot, garlic, and an Ararat Brandy deglazing. It was pan-seared using rendered bacon fat in cast iron before finishing in the oven and served over rice pilaf.

You can find the original recipe here, but I will share some alterations: 1) I prepared the stuffing about an hour ahead of time so it could settle in the fridge. This chilling made it very easy to stuff the chops and it held together exceptionally well—not a single bit fell out when flipping them over in the pan. 2) The recipe called for adding the bleu cheese to the skillet when the stuffing is done. I put the stuffing in a bowl and folded the bleu into that. Since the chops were supposed to be seared in the same pan as the stuffing, the bleu would have made quite the mess. Also, I felt the need to deglaze (using the brandy) during the stuffing cooking process. I cannot imagine the recipe without it, as the apples and bacon stuck to my cast iron. 3) I used about 3/4 less bleu cheese than called for (for a half batch). The result was still very sharp. I would add even less next time. 4) I skipped the rosemary because we are not big fans and there was still a ton of flavor without it.