[markbarendt]

What the meter tells you is what you get on film.

In your example, EV7 background vs EV9 subject, the subject will be two stops brighter than the background regardless of the camera settings. (I'm going to assume it is an incident style flash meter.)

If you want the subject and background lighting to be balanced, the meter needs to read the same EV for both. It really is that simple.

(This is true of all photography regardless of the lighting source or sources; it is the root fact of the Zone System, BTZS, ...)

Typically in outdoor photography it is impractical to change the lighting on the background. From your example I'll use EV7 and assume that it is fixed there by mother nature. Also from your example I'll assume that f/4 is the aperture you have chosen to get DOF where you want it and that that means 1/60 is the right time to set the camera to expose the background as you specified you want it pegged to Zone V.

At this point you are done adjusting the camera, end of story.

The lighting on your subjects face though may meter at EV5, so too dark.

To get the subject meter reading up to EV7 (the balanced lighting you want), the flash output needs to be adjusted, not the camera settings.

If the flash on the first try gives you EV9 on your subject, you need to adjust the flash output or move the flash farthur away from the subject and try again.