Season the chops with salt and pepper. Cut nicks into the fat every few centimeters; this will help keep the chops from curling. Add a small splash of olive oil and a tbsp of butter to a medium pan on medium-high heat. Sear the chops for 3 minutes per side until cooked and golden. Set them aside on a plate to rest, tented loosely with foil.

Add the shallots to the pan and let them fry for 1 minute. Carefully add the brandy. Let reduce until only a tbsp or so of liquid remains. Add the apple juice, chicken stock, thyme sprigs, and mustard and bring to a simmer. Season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and cook until reduced by half. This'll take 10 to 15 minutes.

Strain the sauce into another pan and put it on low heat. Whisk in the 2 tbsp unsalted butter, a little at a time, to thicken and enrichen the sauce. Return the chops and any juices to the pan to re-warm them.

Add a knob of butter to a skillet on medium-high heat. Once the butter's melted, browned, and bubbling, add the apple chunks. Leave them alone for a minute to sear, then give the skillet a shake. Season lightly with a pinch of salt. Leave the apples to cook another minute, then take them off the heat. They should look caramelized but not mushy. Individually or family-style, plate the chops, topped with the fried apples, and drizzled with the mustard sauce.