I generally defrost meat on the kitchen counter. A friend of mine suggested that this was dangerous and suggested that I defrost meat in the refrigerator. I am no biologist but it seems to me that as long as the meat doesn't get warm defrosting it on the counter should be safe.  Generally, I remove the frozen items from the freezer and place them on a plate on the counter in the packaging they were frozen in. When they are mostly / completely thawed I place the meat in the refrigerator.  Am I wrong and should I be defrosting in the refrigerator? 
A lot of bacteria grows in the range of 40-100°F (4-38°C) (i.e. room temperature). It's definitely not recommended to defrost meat at room temperature. In fact, you are not supposed to leave meat at room temperature for more than an hour.   However, defrosting in the refrigerator can take a long time and require you to plan at least one day ahead of time. I'm not so good at this, which leads to a safe and fast solution: Defrost meat in a waterproof ziploc bag in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes until defrosted. The water is a better  conductor of heat than air, so the defrosting is quite fast and the water is cold so there's minimal safety risk.  From the USDA:     Uh, oh! You're home and forgot to   defrost something for dinner. You grab   a package of meat or chicken and use   hot water to thaw it fast. But is this   safe? What if you remembered to take   food out of the freezer, but forgot   and left the package on the counter   all day while you were at work?      Neither of these situations are safe,   and these methods of thawing lead to   foodborne illness. Food must be kept   at a safe temperature during "the big   thaw." Foods are safe indefinitely   while frozen. However, as soon as food   begins to defrost and become warmer   than 40 °F (4 °C), any bacteria that may have   been present before freezing can begin   to multiply.      Foods should never be thawed or even   stored on the counter, or defrosted in   hot water. Food left above 40 °F   (unrefrigerated) is not at a safe   temperature.      Even though the center of the package   may still be frozen as it thaws on the   counter, the outer layer of the food   is in the "Danger Zone," between 40   and 140 °F (4 °C and 60 °C) – at temperatures where   bacteria multiply rapidly.      When defrosting frozen foods, it's   best to plan ahead and thaw food in   the refrigerator where food will   remain at a safe, constant temperature   – 40 °F (4 °C) or below.      There are three safe ways to defrost   food: in the refrigerator, in cold   water, and in the microwave.      Refrigerator Thawing Planning ahead is   the key to this method because of the   lengthy time involved. A large frozen   item like a turkey requires at least a   day (24 hours) for every 5 pounds of   weight. Even small amounts of frozen   food -- such as a pound of ground meat   or boneless chicken breasts -- require   a full day to thaw. When thawing foods   in the refrigerator, there are several   variables to take into account. Some   areas of an appliance may keep the   food colder than other areas. Food   placed in the coldest part will   require longer defrosting time. Food   takes longer to thaw in a refrigerator   set at 35 °F (2 °C) than one set at 40 °F (4 °C).      After thawing in the refrigerator,   ground meat and poultry should remain   useable for an additional day or two   before cooking; red meat, 3 to 5 days.   Foods defrosted in the refrigerator   can be refrozen without cooking,   although there may be some loss of   quality.      Cold Water Thawing      This method is faster than   refrigerator thawing but requires more   attention. The food must be in a   leak-proof package or plastic bag. If   the bag leaks, bacteria from the air   or surrounding environment could be   introduced into the food. Also, meat   tissue can also absorb water like a   sponge, resulting in a watery product.      The bag should be submerged in cold   tap water, changing the water every 30   minutes so it continues to thaw. Small   packages of meat or poultry – about a   pound – may defrost in an hour or   less. A 3- to 4-pound package may take   2 to 3 hours. For whole turkeys,   estimate about 30 minutes per pound.   If thawed completely, the food must be   cooked immediately.       Foods thawed by the cold water method   should be cooked before refreezing.  