A chilled noodle bowl of sauteed ground pork with blistered peppers in a peanut butter-tomato sauce spells summer.

As I sit in my Airbnb, with five fans circulating sauna-like air, I wish someone would gift me an AC unit. This might feel unrelatable if you’re enveloped in San Francisco proper’s fog blanket, but as it turns out, literally anywhere outside the city — including Los Angeles, where I’ve been for the summer — has been very hot. If I could ask for another gift it might be for a smoothie (I’ve become an L.A. stereotype) or a frosty beer with many, many limes, or if I’m actually eating, a chilled noodle bowl because that’s all I want right now.

When I think of chilled noodles, I think of the porky, saucy, chewy noodle bowl from Steep, a tea shop and cafe in L.A.’s Chinatown. Those noodles are the source of inspiration for this week’s recipe: light yet satisfyingly savory goodness that makes me embrace — or at least be distracted from — this heat blanket I’m in.

I start by cooking all the parts of the dish that need to cool down before serving, so that means sautéing the ground pork and the peppers. I cook the pork into a mix of crispy and tender bits because that is called delicious. Ground sausage also works fine as long as it’s an Italian-style that tends to be fairly mild and won’t try to steal the show. For the peppers, I like sweet red peppers that are bountiful right now, but small green padron or shishito peppers work too, with their more vegetal flavor and surprise bursts of heat here and there.

I’m also open-minded about the noodles here, too. I prefer a chewy lo mein-type noodle with a little bite, but udon or even spaghetti will work. To prevent the cooked noodles from sticking together, toss in a bowl with a little oil and set aside while you’re preparing everything else.

The tomato-peanut sauce is a way for me to use up Early Girl tomatoes that have been sitting on my counter, neglected for longer than either of us have wanted. I blend them into a garlicky, vinegar-y peanut mixture that’s been thinned to a saucy consistency that coats the noodles. The sweet, juicy tomatoes and savory, super nutty roasted peanuts work really well together.

When everything comes together in the bowl — the sauced noodles, crumbled pork, blistered peppers and the herbs and chopped nuts — it’s an easy way to beat the heat. And full disclosure: These noodles will taste good in San Francisco proper, too.

Christian Reynoso is a chef, recipe developer and writer. Originally from Sonoma, he lives in San Francisco. Email: food@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @christianreynoso Twitter: @xtianreynoso

Cold Noodles With Tomato-Peanut Sauce, Pork & Peppers

Chilled, nutty, garlicky, saucy noodles, savory pork and sweet peppers come together for a light yet satisfying savory summer meal.

1 pound fresh lo mein, udon or dried spaghetti noodles

5 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for tossing with noodles

1 pound ground pork or sausage

½ pound Jimmy Nardello, red bell or other sweet peppers, stemmed and chopped

¾ pound Early Girl or Roma tomatoes, chopped (about 3 or 4 large)

5 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar or lemon juice (or mix of both)

½ cup chopped cilantro and/or mint, plus more if desired

Instructions: Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions then drain and rinse under cold water, then shake off as much water as possible. Transfer the cool noodles to a large bowl and toss with enough olive oil to coat them. Season with salt and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmery, add the ground pork, using the back of a spoon or blunt wooden spoon to break the meat into bite-size pieces and crumbles. Cook, tossing and turning every few minutes, until cooked through and you have a mix of crispy browned and tender bits. Season with salt and pepper, then fold in the peppers and cook, tossing and turning until the peppers are softened and tender but still have a fresh pepper taste (taste a piece or two), about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small serving bowl and let cool before serving.

Place ¾ cup of the peanuts, tomatoes, vinegar or lemon juice, garlic, fish sauce and remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste, season with salt, pulse, taste again and season again if needed.

Pour the tomato-peanut sauce into the bowl with the noodles and toss very well to combine. The noodles should look fully coated and there should be some sauce pooling at the bottom of the bowl. If there isn’t, or if the sauce looks too thick, add a few splashes of water at a time, tossing in-between. Season with salt again and taste until it’s sufficiently saucy and delicious.

Chop the remaining ½ cup peanuts. Serve the noodles in bowls with the cooled pork and pepper mix spooned over the top with the chopped herbs and peanuts.