Steelhead trout is part of the salmon family so you can cook it however you prepare salmon. Fun fact: Rainbow trout have two major life paths. If a rainbow trout migrates from river to ocean (anadromous), it becomes “steelhead”. If a rainbow trout remains in rivers, or freshwater, for its entire life, we call it a rainbow trout. These two lifestyles result in adults that not only act different, but also look different.