Sauces used in gastronomy, by Carlos Mirasierras

Sofrito
Technically speaking, the sofrito is a hot sauce that can be obtained by
simmering a series of veggies, such as tomatoes, onions, garlic, shallots, etc.
(grated, cut into small dice, chopped, etc.) in oil, butter, margarine, etc. The
sofrito is a very important part of the Spanish cuisine, and some dare to say that
it is the cornerstone of its recipe book; although it's not the leading character of
any preparation, so to use too much tomato, or onions, or any other veggies will
ruin the preparation, no matter how good or expensive the meats, fish, or other
food stuffs might be.
A tomato sauce, for example, contains a large amount of tomato, onion, leek,
etc; the aim is to "wrap" the meat or the fish in a sauce, so in this case we're not
talking about sofritos. And going back to the subject, tough meats will gain in
flavor during the stewing process because the sofrito will enrich the surrounding
liquid/sauce/stock, and the aromas and other organoleptic properties will finally
end up in the meat, above all, when the stew meat is eaten a day later. There
are in fact variations of the sofrito and they include the addition of other
elements, such as species (hot or sweet), alcoholic drinks (wine, brandy, flambé
or not). A sirloin steak doesn't need a sofrito since it is broiled on an intense
heat for a short time, so it is juicy and doesn't get overcooked in the process;
then you can add a home-made sauce, and that is all about.

The arrival of tomatoes and other exotic products from the New Word (Las
Indias) changed the cooking rules, and made possible to detach from certain
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