• Season the pork butt. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and the dry spices together. Massage the mixture into the pork, cover, and let sit in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to overnight.
• Slow-roast the meat. Preheat the oven to 300° F. Place the pork on a rack insert fitted inside a roasting pan just large enough to fit the meat and high enough so the pork is sitting above the cooking liquid. Add the apple juice and water, then cover the pan tightly with foil, and slow roast for 5 hours. Remove the foil and cook for another 30 minutes, until the pork is browned and crisping and the meat is basically falling apart.
• Shred the tender pork. Remove from the oven, place on a platter and let the meat cool for 15 minutes. Using two forks or your fingers, shred the meat into chunks. Add the drippings back into the pork and stir. Transfer to a serving bowl for serving, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
• Assemble shredded pork sandwiches. Pile a serving of meat on a warm bun, drizzle with North Carolina BBQ Sauce, and serve with pickles¸.

For the North Carolina BBQ Sauce

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add all of the ingredients except vinegar to the saucepan and cook until brown sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, stir in vinegar and serve warm with pork or at room temperature.