Two things I noticed missing from the recipe are onions and carrots. Onions have some sugar in them - and carrots have more natural sugar than any other vegetable except "sugar beets". Sugar will not neutralize the acid in the tomatoes - but it will help neutralize the acidic "taste".
Fresh herbs should only be added during the last 5 minutes of cooking - to reinforce the flavor of dried herbs used at the beginning of the cooking - and add another "layer" of herb flavor. Cooked too long - fresh herbs can get bitter.
I NEVER use garlic salt (I don't allow it in my kitchen) - and very seldom have an occasion to use garlic powder. Both can be bitter ... especially if they are old. Remember - garlic has oil in it - oils oxidize and go rancid.
Burning the tomato paste is a possibility ....
Leaving out the wine wouldn't make it bitter ...
It sounds like you're making a take-off on a basic Bolognese sauce. That shouldn't need to simmer more than about 30 minutes since you're using ground beef. If you are simmer with the lid on - it's going to take a LOT longer to reduce than without a lid - and increase the chances of scorching and burning.
Sounds like you changed several things in your tried-and-true recipe ... hard to pinpoint exactly which change was the problem. I'm just throwing out some things to consider.
Fresh herbs should only be added during the last 5 minutes of cooking - to reinforce the flavor of dried herbs used at the beginning of the cooking - and add another "layer" of herb flavor. Cooked too long - fresh herbs can get bitter.
I NEVER use garlic salt (I don't allow it in my kitchen) - and very seldom have an occasion to use garlic powder. Both can be bitter ... especially if they are old. Remember - garlic has oil in it - oils oxidize and go rancid.
Burning the tomato paste is a possibility ....
Leaving out the wine wouldn't make it bitter ...
It sounds like you're making a take-off on a basic Bolognese sauce. That shouldn't need to simmer more than about 30 minutes since you're using ground beef. If you are simmer with the lid on - it's going to take a LOT longer to reduce than without a lid - and increase the chances of scorching and burning.
Sounds like you changed several things in your tried-and-true recipe ... hard to pinpoint exactly which change was the problem. I'm just throwing out some things to consider.
