DUNBAR MACARONI

Dunbar Macaroni with Beef

Nearly every cook in Newberry County makes his or her own rendition of Dunbar macaroni. In Gourmet's kitchens, we combined some favorite additions to the basic recipe to come up with this version.

YIELD: Makes 8 to 10 main-course servings ACTIVE TIME: 1 hr TOTAL TIME: 1 1/2 hr INGREDIENTS

1 lb boneless chuck, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 

1 (14 1/2-oz) can beef broth

1(28- to 32-oz) can whole tomatoes in purée 

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups fresh bread crumbs

1 lb sharp Cheddar, grated (4 cups) 

1 lb elbow macaroni

PREPARATION

Simmer chuck in broth in a 2-quart saucepan, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender, about 1 hour.

While meat simmers, break up tomatoes by squeezing them into a bowl with purée. Cook onion in half of butter in a 4-quart saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add tomatoes with purée, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar, then simmer, stirring occasionally,15 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

To make topping, toss together bread crumbs, 1 cup Cheddar, remaining melted butter, and salt and pepper to taste.

Cook macaroni in boiling salted water until al dente, then drain in a colander. Cool macaroni 3 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl. Toss with tomato sauce, beef with broth, remaining 3 cups cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer macaroni mixture to a buttered 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish and spoon topping evenly over. Bake in middle of oven, uncovered, 25 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and mixture is bubbling.